Intervening in Fate
by rachel.leann
Summary: My version of season 3. Damon and Elena set off to rescue Stefan from Klaus. It only takes Elena a little while to realize that her feelings for the Salvatore men are much more complicated than she wanted to believe. D/E eventually.
1. Chapter 1 At the Point of Breaking

a/n: So here it is! This is my attempt at a fake season three. It is set right after the last episode. If you haven't seen that episode, there are spoilers in his chapter. I will try to have around 21 chapters to this story and update about once a week. I hope everyone enjoys this. As always, please remember to review! =)

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><p>Chapter One At the Point of Breaking<p>

_And if my heart just stops, pack my memories in it-_  
><em>I want to know all the love I've got.<em>  
><em>And if my heart just stops, keep me alive for a minute-<em>  
><em>I want to know if a curtain drops.<em>  
>-Why It Scares Me by La Dispute<p>

Elena collapsed onto Damon's bed. There wasn't anywhere else for her to go. Thankfully, Damon was enough of a gentlemen that he pulled his barely healed body off the covers and stood on the hardwood floor. She lay there in shock for moments as she debated what to even say.

"We have to get him back," she finally whispered as her brown eyes met Damon's pained blue ones.

"I know," he finally nodded. He didn't look like he was strong enough to walk, but he slowly moved toward the bedroom door. "I'm going to go find her."

Unfortunately, Elena didn't have to ask who he was going after. She had watched Katherine leave the room only moments before. Despite Elena's hatred toward her doppelganger, Katherine was currently the only one who knew anything about how they might get Stefan back.

She had never known how hard it was going to be to see Damon leave. While her heart belonged to Stefan, he wasn't here. And all she wanted to do was stay in bed and wallow in self-pity.

Yet, that had never been Elena's style. With everything that had happened lately, after all the deaths she had seen and felt, she wasn't one to crawl in a corner and give up. Gritting her teeth, Elena pushed herself from the bed.

She had just reached the doorway when she heard her phone ring. Glancing back at the bed, she saw it lying on the covers. A frown crossed her face as she picked up her cell. She didn't know why anyone would be calling her now, and she couldn't handle more bad news.

"Hello," she said uncertainly.

At first no one spoke. All Elena could hear was a soft crying in the background, and that sound set Elena on edge. Despite the fact that she wanted everything to be fine, she was slowly letting go of that hope.

"Caroline," Elena spoke softly. "You have to talk to me. What's going on?"

"I told my mom," Carolina said between sniffs. "I told her the truth about everything that has happen. About Klaus, and the Lockwood's, and how I once made her forget everything. She hugged me Elena." There was a short pause. "I think everything is going to be okay now."

Elena let out a small sigh. "I'm glad everything worked out for you." She knew she needed to tell Caroline everything that had happened, but she also knew the bad news could wait until the morning. "Damon is alive," Elena finally said.

"That's amazing," Caroline replied. "What happened?"

"I'll explain it tomorrow."

"That sounds good." Caroline's voice was filled with happiness. "Goodnight Elena."

"Goodnight Caroline."

As Elena hung up, she let out a deep breath. For once, she just wanted things to go her way. Instead of having a happily ever after, now, she needed to find Damon and work on coming up with a rescue mission.

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><p>Jeremy blinked again and shook his head. Although he had seen Anna and Vickie standing in the room with him only moments before, now, they were gone. Alaric's sleeping body lay on the couch, and he barely stirred when Jeremy spoke aloud. Thinking he had only gone through too much that day, Jeremy walked into the kitchen to find something to drink.<p>

The cold water felt good as he allowed it to flow over his hands. He threw some of the water into his face before wiping his skin with a towel he had grabbed nearby. As he moved the refrigerator, he contemplated what he wanted to drink. A pitcher of lemonade sat on the top shelf, so he grabbed a nearby glass, and filled it to the brim.

With glass in hand, he turned to face the rest of the kitchen. When her haunted face came into his view, he dropped the glass and heard it shatter across the floor.

She looked beautiful, he thought sadly, as he stood frozen. Her dark strawberry blond hair fell in curls to her shoulders, and her blue eyes looked to him with question in them.

"Jenna?" Jeremy finally found the strength to ask. "Is that you?"

She didn't respond. Instead, she crossed the kitchen to where her nephew stood. When she reached out to touch him, however, she merely went through him.

"Can you hear me?" Jeremy asked as he tried to interpret any recognition in her features.

"Um, yes?" A voice came from the kitchen entrance. Jeremy turned around to see a confused looking Alaric. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm just tired," Jeremy replied truthfully. After chancing a glance to where Jenna had stood, he realized there was now only air there. "I'm going to go to sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

As Jeremy walked back up to his room, he thought back to the three images he had seen tonight. Although he knew those three woman were dead, they had seemed so real. And when Jenna had crossed the room toward him, he would have sworn she had seen him too.

Collapsing onto bed, Jeremy fought to keep his eyes closed. Maybe after some sleep he'd stop having these strange hallucinations.

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><p>Damon moved into the living room and frowned.<p>

"I knew you'd come after me," Katherine grinned before she took a drink out of the glass she held in her hand.

"And how did you know that?" Damon almost growled. Although he felt far from his normal self, he wasn't opposed to putting up a tough façade.

"I'm the only one with answers," she shrugged smugly. "If you want Stefan back, you have to work with me."

As Damon crossed the room, he eyed Katherine warily. "And why would you want to help me?"

Katherine stood up then and set her glass on a side table. With a smile on her face, she skimmed her fingers across the center of Damon's chest.

"It's very simple really," Katherine purred. "If we help each other, we both get what we want."

Her brown eyes danced with mischief, and Damon was sick of it. Using all of his strength, he grabbed her around the neck and threw her against the wall.

"Let me make this clear," he began heatedly.

"No." Katherine pulled free before slamming Damon in the position she had been only moments earlier. "Let _me_ make this clear." She looked deep into Damon's blue eyes. "I want to survive through all of this with what I want. I want Stefan. You want Elena." She released her grip. "It's not that farfetched for us to work together."

"With our past?" Damon almost laughed. "No greater depths have been crossed in the history of this world."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "I have the answers you need," she made clear. "And you have the resources I need. We need each other Damon."

"So what do you propose?" There was a deathly gleam in his eyes.

"I'll tell you as much as I know. In return, I want you to promise me that I can operate in the shadows. I want you to swear to me that you will _not_ give me over to Klaus, even if it means sacrificing Elena."

"And why would I agree to that?"

"Do you really have a choice?"

Damon's eyes trailed then to Elena as she walked down the staircase. At that moment, he knew he had to listen to Katherine, and he absolutely hated it.

"So tell us Katherine," Damon spoke loudly. "What exactly does Klaus want with Stefan?"

A true smile crossed Katherine's lips as she realized she had won. "Klaus is the most powerful being I know to exist," she began. "And that will never be enough for him."

"But what could he possibly want with Stefan?" Elena questioned as she moved farther into the room. "Stefan isn't as powerful as the majority of the vampires out there. Why not choose someone else."

Katherine's smile grew. "Stefan is by far one of the most powerful vampires in existence. While on animal blood, he may appear weak, but we all know how powerful he is when he's on human blood."

"Stefan wouldn't do that," Elena frowned.

"But he would." Katherine shrugged before returning to her seat. After Damon glanced in Elena's direction, they both followed and sat down too. "I've never seen a vampire consume that much blood in that short a time."

"Why would he do that?" Damon inquired as he leaned forward in his seat.

"Stefan always blamed himself for turning you into a vampire," she continued. "I don't see the need for hanging onto regret, but that's Stefan for you."

"That still doesn't seem like enough for him to just leave Elena."

"But he was also looking out for Elena," Katherine grinned. She was gaining too much pleasure from this. "He knows she cares about you, and knew how much it would hurt her to see you die." She paused for emphasis. "I doubt he knew exactly how _much_ she cared about you though."

At those words, Damon's eyes involuntarily drifted to Elena. Her brown eyes weren't looking at him though. Instead, they were staring straight at Katherine.

"Do you know where Klaus was headed?" Elena asked fearlessly.

"No. I'm sure he was putting Elijah's body wherever the rest of his dead relatives were though."

"What?" Damon was on his feet now. "You didn't tell us that piece of information before."

"I needed to know you wouldn't turn me into Klaus first," Katherine shrugged.

"That was noble of you."

"So do we have a deal?" Katherine smirked.

Damon glanced back to Elena. Her eyes pleaded with him to help in any way that he could while still reflecting her hatred of Katherine. Making deals with Katherine had never worked out before, and he was certain this time would be no different. Still, she was holding information back that they needed in order to find Klaus and Stefan. Damon turned to Katherine with determination in his blue eyes.

"Deal."

"Good," Katherine smiled. "Let's start planning."

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><p>Tyler raced down the sidewalk in a full sprint. Although he had tried to fall asleep hours ago, that rest had eluded him, so he had decided to go out for a run. The cool night air felt good on his warm skin, and he found solace in the night. Part of him knew that this was the only time of day he'd ever love. He hated the fact that he was forced to walk in the sun.<p>

He had just rounded the corner of the square when he ran straight into someone. In that moment of imbalance, Tyler crashed to the sidewalk below. He heard a soft groan that sounded masculine, and he glanced over to see Matt sitting on the concrete in front of him.

"What are you doing out so late?" Tyler asked after he had jumped to his feet. He offered Matt his outstretched hand, but Matt got up on his own.

"I could ask you the same thing," Matt retorted.

"I'm a creature of the night, remember?"

"Yeah," was all Matt said in reply. "Look man, I have to go. I'll catch you later."

"Wait." Tyler blocked Matt's path to stop him from leaving. "There's something I need to tell you first."

"What?" Matt replied in agitated tones. "You almost killed me Tyler."

"And you know as well as I do that that wasn't me."

"Whatever." Matt turned to race across the street, but Tyler grabbed him to prevent him from walking out in front of the vehicle that sped through the area. Tyler was vaguely aware that Matt had pulled himself out of his grasp. Now, all of Tyler's attention was focused on the area the police car had just disappeared into.

"Did you see that?" Tyler questioned to Matt.

"Of course I saw it," Matt retorted. "It almost ran me over."

"A thank you would have sufficed." Tyler stood there in silence for a few moments. "That was Sheriff Forbes?" Tyler spoke in question. "I wonder what she was doing out this late?"

"Probably taking care of some vampire or werewolf problem," Matt replied, but then he frowned and shook his head to clear it. "I didn't mean it like that."

"It sure sounded like you did."

"I'm new to this," Matt snapped. His blue eyes were swimming with anger. "Give me time to understand this."

"There's not much to understand," Tyler replied truthfully as his brown eyes met Matt's. "We all die, whether or not we're human. People I have loved have died because of all this nonsense. I don't like it any more than you do," he made clear. "Ignoring it, however, isn't a choice."

"Fine," Matt responded. "So what do you suppose we do?"

"Go make sure Caroline is fine."

"No," a voice came out of the shadows. Tyler could barely make out the slim body and brown hair of the girl. "I have other plans for you."

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><p>an: Please remember to review!


	2. Chapter 2 Turning Plans into Actions

a/n: First of all, I would like to say a very sincere thank you to everyone who reviewed my first chapter. I LOVE hearing from everyone who reads my chapters. I hadn't planned on putting this chapter up yet, but I've already written the next chapter too, so I saw no reason to wait. The more reviews I get, the quicker I'll update the story. I'd love it if EVERYONE who read my story would review. I hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, please review!

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><p>Chapter 2 Turning Plans into Actions<p>

_Well if we take all these things and we bury them fast,__  
><em>_And we'll pray that they turn to seeds, to roots and then grass,__  
><em>_It'd be all right, it's all right, it'd be easier that way…_  
>-Daisy by Brand New<p>

Elena sat in the living room with Damon in silence. Katherine had finally left a few moments ago, and now all Elena felt was tiredness. Apparently Damon had picked up on this because his blue eyes looked to Elena with concern.

"Are you alright?"

"Katherine just annoys me," Elena spoke. "I'm tired of her always getting her way."

Damon nodded. "Are you going to call your friends tonight?"

"No." Elena leaned back and stared at the ceiling. After a few minutes, she rolled her eyes and met Damon's gaze. "We're not even safe here anymore."

"I hadn't thought of that either until I saw Katherine," Damon replied honestly. "When the owner of the house dies, a vampire no longer has to be invited in. And you died."

As Elena retreated back into her thoughts, her mind drifted to what Katherine had said only moments earlier. Elena wasn't even sure how she needed to act around Damon now. He had confessed his love for her, and she had kissed him.

_It's okay to love them both… I did,_ Katherine's voice repeated in Elena's head. Right now, Elena just wanted to punch the annoying vampire.

Not wanting to deal with her mixed-up feelings, Elena turned her thoughts back to Stefan. There had to be some way to find him without dealing with her doppelganger.

"I know you've been through a lot," Damon's voice came softly from her side. She glanced to him then and saw the pain etched across his eyes. "But if we're going to find Stefan, we need to leave as soon as possible."

Nodding, Elena stood up. Damon followed suit, and arched his head in question. "You need to call whoever you want to come with us."

"I'm not putting anyone else in danger," Elena replied as she met his eyes. "This is our battle."

"Okay then," Damon nodded. "I'll go with you and let you pack whatever you need."

Before Elena could stop herself, she embraced Damon in a fierce hug. "Thank you."

Damon folded himself into the embrace, and held onto her with strong arms. "For what?"

"Letting me hear what Katherine had to say," Elena replied as she pulled away. "Stefan wouldn't have allowed me to hear that. Thank you for letting me hear the truth."

"I'm not sure how much of what Katherine says is actually truth," he smiled, "But you're welcome." He paused only long enough for her to know he was sincere. "I'm going to go grab a few things and then we'll leave."

Elena nodded in response as she held her breath. She silently prayed this trek turned out better than she thought it would.

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><p>Tyler stepped in front of Matt to protect him from the person walking toward them. In the dim light, Tyler first thought the person was Elena. It took him only a few seconds to figure out he was wrong.<p>

"Katherine," Tyler growled. "I thought you would be dead by now."

"I thought you would be too," Katherine smirked. "It's a little disappointing to see that the sacrifice didn't go as planned."

"Go to-"

"If you're going to speak, at least find something creative to say," Katherine interrupted.

"What do you even want?" Tyler's brown eyes found Matt's blue ones. He wanted to tell Matt to run as fast as he could, but knew it wouldn't do any good.

"I need to talk to Caroline for a few minutes. I don't want either of you to interfere."

"You can't compel me," Tyler made clear.

"I can compel _him_ though." Her eyes were on Matt. "I have a job for him anyway."

Before Tyler could react, he felt Katherine's fist against his skull. Darkness rushed towards him, and all he heard before it consumed him was a single scream from Matt.

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><p>Elena opened the front door of her house and walked in as quietly as possible. The floorboards creaked underneath her weight, but no one stirred in the darkness. Through the dim moonlight, she could make out Alaric's figure on the couch. Elena found a sort of satisfaction that Jeremy wasn't alone.<p>

She moved up the staircase two stairs at a time. Her body felt the need to hurry, but she was so tired that she found it hard to keep up her energy. Behind her Damon moved silently up the stairs. At times she longed for his stealth, although she knew she would never want to become a vampire.

Damon stood outside of her room as she threw clothes into a duffle bag she'd grabbed from her closet. Since she wasn't sure exactly where they were heading, she threw in a variety of clothes that would allow her to be comfortable in different types of weather. She made sure to grab her diary, along with other items that would be necessary on a journey. When she thought she had everything she needed, she opened her desk and took out a sheet of paper. Quickly, she wrote a letter to Jeremy and Alaric that explained everything that was going on. She folded it neatly before Damon appeared at her side.

"I'll put it downstairs," he spoke. She nodded once, and then he was gone.

Her eyes glanced once around her room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. As hard as it was to leave her home at this time, she knew she'd be home shortly. Hopefully then everyone would be safe and happy.

She stopped by Jeremy's room and peered inside. He moved back and forth in his bed, as if he was having a bad dream. She longed to comfort him, but knew there wasn't time. They had to leave.

By the time she reached the first floor, Damon was already waiting on her. He had an expression that mirrored her pain. Even though he would have denied it, he cared deeply for Alaric. Leaving Mystic Falls was about as hard on him as it was on her.

Yet, they both knew how much they needed to leave.

Elena made sure to lock the door back on her way out, although she wasn't sure how effective that action would be if someone really wanted in. There was only a short moment of hesitation before she turned and threw herself in the Ford Focus Damon had "borrowed" from a neighbor. Personally, she hated the idea of stealing a vehicle, but they needed one now, and she secretly promised she'd make up for it later.

The car was a little small, but very maneuverable, and discreet enough that they wouldn't stand out in any crowd. She knew it wasn't Damon's taste in vehicles, and was happy that he hadn't taken the time to find a Mustang, Charger, or Porsche. Damon obviously felt the urgency of this mission as much as she did.

Knowing that Damon's driving abilities were far superior to hers, Elena leaned back in her seat. As Damon sped through the crisp night, Elena allowed her eyes to close. Then, she drifted into a very restless sleep.

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><p>Caroline's eyes grew wide as she felt someone's hand cover her mouth. She tried to scream out, but found that she couldn't. When she tried to pull away from the person, Caroline found out that her captor was much stronger than she was.<p>

"Stop with the games Caroline," the voice came. Although Caroline thought it was Elena, she knew better. The only being this could be was Katherine.

"What do you want?" Caroline spat after the other vampire let go of her. "I thought you had left me a long time ago."

"I decided I needed to use you again." Katherine sat down on the edge of the bed and offered a fake smile. "There's something I need you to do."

"And I'm not going to do it," Caroline responded. She pushed her blond curls away from her eyes in anger. "You need to leave."

"I compelled Matt to do something for me," Katherine spoke as she examined her fingernails. "I could always compel him to do whatever I feel is necessary to make you cooperative."

Caroline glared. "What do _you _want?"

"I want Klaus dead. He was already supposed to be dead, but your friends managed to mess that up. I have a plan to get rid of him, and this time I'm not going to let someone screw it up." She stood up now so that her figure loomed over Caroline and cast shadows across the covers. "Damon and Elena are going to get Stefan back. And no matter what happens, Klaus will chase us back to Mystic Falls. I need you to make sure that Bonnie doesn't go chasing after Elena. I need her here, and I need her to find a way to stop him. If we make it back here, and your witch doesn't have a way to stop him, I will personally kill every person you love before Klaus finds us. You do _not_ want me to become your enemy."

Caroline stifled a laugh as she stared at Katherine. Despite the other girl's words, she was fairly certain they were already enemies.

"What is Matt doing for you now?" Caroline questioned.

"Nothing you need to worry about." Katherine shrugged. "He'll be returned in perfect condition tomorrow morning."

"How reassuring." She rolled her eyes, but Katherine ignored her. Before Caroline could even blink, the other vampire had disappeared from her room. Personally, Caroline was glad she was gone.

And how was she ever going to convince Bonnie to stay in Mystic Falls when she found out Elena was gone? This whole task seemed impossible, but Caroline understood that Klaus had to be stopped whether or not she had an agreement with Katherine.

Maybe, if they were lucky, they'd even be able to get rid of Katherine too.

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><p>"Elena." Damon's voice tore through her dream and brought her back to reality. She blinked at him sleepily a few times before she smiled at him.<p>

"Where are we?"

"Georgia," he replied. "We don't have much time before we get to the place where we're meeting up with Katherine." He paused for a few seconds. "There are a few things I need to tell you before we're with her."

"Go ahead."

Damon's blue eyes stayed fixed on the road. Trees zoomed past them in the pale morning light. "You know as well as I do that she's only looking out for herself. If a time comes when she has to, she will sacrifice either of us without thinking twice about it."

"I know."

He let out a deep breath. "She also wants to keep Stefan the way he is. If we get him back, she'll want him to stay on human blood."

"That's not acceptable."

"She won't care." Damon glanced to her for a few seconds. "She also wants Stefan back. She wants to be with him."

Elena's anger flared. "She can't just brainwash him into following her."

"She's going to try."

Elena knew that Damon was taking in her every movement. Although she tried to remain calm, she felt pain consume her entire being. Part of her just wanted to tell Damon to turn around, to go back to Mystic Falls, and they'd somehow create a life together. But she loved Stefan, and knew what he'd do to help her if the roles were reversed. It was her job to save him.

As she took in Damon's demeanor, she knew he wouldn't turn around even if she asked him too. He would forever blame this on himself, and deep down, he also cared about his brother. Their chance to turn around had been passed up hours ago. Now, their only mission was to save him.

When Damon pulled into a rundown hotel, Elena shook her head.

"No," she said firmly. "I'm _not_ going to stay there."

"Believe me, I'd love to be staying in the Four Seasons, or the Grand Hyatt, but this is where Katherine told us to meet her, and she's currently calling the shots." Damon parked the car and turned off the engine.

"So what do we do now?"

"We wait," Damon shrugged. "She'll show up eventually."

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><p>an: please review!


	3. Chapter 3 Speaking of Legends

a/n: This chapter actually ended up being a little bit longer than I had anticipated it to be. I added to it even after I deemed it "finished." Once again, thank you to everyone who reviewed my story. I love reading what everyone thinks, and how they think the story is going to go. After this chapter, the action will pick up a little. Some things just needed to be explained or set up first. As always, I hope you enjoy. And please review. =)

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><p>Chapter 3 Speaking of Legends<p>

_And we will feast and fight,_  
><em>and tell tales of hangmen heroes, lovers, and pawns...<em>  
>-These Lights by The Forecast<p>

Elena lay on the white bedspread at the hotel and tried to rest. Ever since she had woken up in the car, however, her mind had been bombarded with a multitude of thoughts. She couldn't stop thinking about the trouble Stefan was in, or how she had abandoned her friends, or how she had kissed Damon when she had thought he was going to die.

Letting out a sigh, she pushed herself up into a sitting position. While she had her eyes closed, she had imaged this room in a lot of splendor. Now that she could see it, she was once again hit by its reality.

It was clean. That was about the only good thing to be said about it. Creepy pictures of birds hung on the maroon walls that appeared to stare at Elena wherever she moved. The carpet was an awkward shade of emerald that had stripes of maroon going in different directions. The only furniture in the room was the bed she was sitting on and a small bedside table.

To make matters worse, when Elena had gone with Damon to check into a room, she had seen a taxidermied bird sitting in the corner of the room. Elena had no problems staying at a cheap motel. She just wanted to stay at one where she didn't have to worry about someone stabbing her in the shower.

Then, Elena forced herself to stand up and look out the window. Damon stood guard right outside the door, and his blue eyes were focused on the horizon. Katherine had said she would meet them here around noon, and had yet to show up. Maybe she had decided to break her ties and run away.

Opening the door, Elena offered Damon a weak smile. He smiled back to her, but there was worry in his eyes.

"Do you think she's coming?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "She's our only hope though."

"I know," Elena nodded.

"Are you hungry?"

Elena smiled weakly as she shook her head. Somewhere deep inside her she felt a deep gratitude that he'd thought of her needs like that.

"I think I'm going to go take a shower. If she shows up, just let me know."

Elena didn't miss the gleam in Damon's eyes as she walked past him and back into the room. Thankful that he didn't follow her, Elena climbed into the shower and savored the warm water.

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><p>Jeremy stared at the note in his hand and tried to decide what to do. The bright morning light lit up the kitchen and allowed him to read Elena's words perfectly. Although he had never thought Damon would survive the werewolf bite, his true surprise came in the fact that Stefan had given himself over to Klaus to save his brother. There was no world Jeremy could think of where those actions would make sense.<p>

After he set down the pieces of broken glass he'd picked up, he turned to go into the living room. When he did, he almost ran straight into Alaric.

"Elena and Damon have gone after Klaus," Jeremy said frantically as he held up his letter.

"I know," Alaric replied as he held up his own letter.

"Who is that from?" Jeremy asked as he arched an eyebrow.

"Damon. He gave me specific instructions on how to handle this situation."

"So what are we supposed to do?"

"Get Bonnie over here as soon as possible."

* * *

><p>Caroline stood in her living room and stared at the door. Her mother had left hours ago to check out a brutal killing that had happened in a nearby warehouse. And although Caroline wanted her mom to return safely, she was also worried about Matt. She currently wondered if her mother would come in at any second and tell her that they had found Matt's body too.<p>

When a knock echoed on her door, Caroline jumped. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even heard someone approach her house. Gathering up her courage, Caroline moved toward the door and slowly opened it.

As Tyler came into view, she let out a deep breath.

"Tyler," she smiled. "I hadn't expected to see you."

"Have you seen Matt?" Tyler asked, and Caroline's heart sunk.

"Katherine came to me last night and told me she'd compelled him to do something."

"I know," Tyler replied. "I was there when she did it. She knocked me out first though."

"Awesome." Caroline moved aside and let Tyler actually enter into her house. She closed the door behind them before sitting down on the couch.

"So what did Katherine want with you?" Tyler questioned as he sat down beside her.

"Oh, the same ol' stuff," Caroline faked a smile. "You know, 'Do this or I'll kill everyone you love.' Those types of things."

Concern laced Tyler's chocolate eyes. "What did she ask you to do?"

"Keep Bonnie here." Caroline sighed. "Stefan made a deal with Klaus to save Damon from your bite. Elena and Damon are currently off chasing Klaus. There's some weak plan to lure Klaus back to Mystic Falls. After he's back here, Bonnie is supposed to have some amazing way to stop him."

"That seems a little farfetched."

"That's Katherine for you."

Tyler reclined back on the couch and draped his arm across the back. When Caroline leaned back into him, she felt comfort and safety consume her body.

"So what are you going to do?" Tyler's voice came soft in her ear.

When Caroline turned and faced him, a small gasp escaped her lips. They were so close that it was hard for her to even speak. But then she remembered Matt, and somehow found her voice.

"I already told Bonnie the truth. I just need to track Damon and Elena down now."

"Do you know where they are?"

"I have a general idea." Caroline shrugged. "I texted Elena earlier, and she said she was at the Bates Motel. I didn't understand, so I Googled it. Then I asked her where she really was."

"And?"

"She's at a rundown hotel called The Hole. It's around Atlanta." Caroline let out a weak laugh. "I had to promise her I wouldn't come for her to even tell me where she was. After my mom gets back, I plan on checking on Matt and then heading down there."

"And Bonnie?"

"She agreed to stay here. Alaric, Jeremy, and her are supposed to be doing research."

"Then I'm going with you."

Caroline shook her head quickly. "I'm not going to put you into danger."

"It isn't your choice," Tyler replied. "I'm going to go pack. I'll meet you at Matt's house in an hour."

Before Caroline had a chance to respond, Tyler stood up and left her house. She sat there with her mouth gapping open in surprise as she stared at the area he'd disappeared in. This whole journey was turning out to be more complicated than she thought it would ever be.

* * *

><p>Caroline stood outside of Matt's house and let a smile cross her lips. After looking around the house, she had managed to see Matt from one of the windows. Thankful that he was safe, Caroline moved back to the front yard to meet up with Tyler.<p>

"Are you sure I'm the one who needs to do this?" Tyler asked as he held the vervain in his hand.

"You have to," she replied. "He wouldn't listen to me."

Tyler nodded in agreement before moving toward the house. Caroline quickly ducked out of sight, and watched to see what happened.

After Tyler rang the doorbell, it took Matt only a few seconds to open the door. He gave Tyler an I-might-punch-you-if-you-don't-leave-right-now look, but assumed a stony silence. Finally, Tyler nodded and spoke.

"I don't know if you remember anything about last night, but a vampire compelled you to do something."

"I just remember seeing you," Matt almost growled. But his blue eyes reflected his tiredness, and Caroline could see even from her distance that his clothes were covered in mud and earth.

Slightly disheveled, Tyler handed Matt the container of vervain. "I know you don't like me or Caroline right now," he began. "But part of you cared about both of us at some time. Please, if either of us ever meant anything to you, please start drinking this."

"How?" He didn't move to take the vervain, but eyed it warily.

"Mix it in with your drink," Tyler replied. "It will keep you safe from whatever happened last night."

Nodding, Matt took the vervain. He stood there for a moment like he wanted to say something, but then shrugged and shut the door. Caroline was just thankful that he had taken the vervain.

"That could have gone better," Tyler spoke as he rejoined her.

"At least he took it," she replied. "We need to get going too. We have a long way to drive. And there's no guarantee Elena and Damon will stay where they are."

"Then let's get going," Tyler smiled.

* * *

><p>Elena sat in the hotel room and flipped through the different news stations that were available on the television. It was almost sundown and they still hadn't heard from Katherine. They were giving her only a few more hours before heading out on their own. Unfortunately, none of the news programs they had watched had revealed anything about mass murders that had taken place. It was as if they had dropped off the face of the earth, and without Katherine, they really had no idea where to start.<p>

"I feel like we need to talk about what happened when you were dying," Elena spoke up as she leaned against the headboard.

"There's no reason to talk about it," Damon replied. He sat beside her on the bed, and his body was only a foot from hers. "I was dying. We both did and said things we didn't really mean."

"Oh." Elena ran a hand through her long brown hair. "I guess you're right."

Although Damon's eyes stayed fixed on her, she didn't look at him. Instead, she stood up and walked over to the window. The warm sun lit up the sky in brilliant shades of magenta and purple. The sight looked like something out of a fairy tale. Instead, Elena's life had turned into more of a horror story where happy endings rarely happened.

A breeze raced past Elena then, causing chills to race up her spine. She let out a deep breath before turning around and facing the vampire who looked exactly like her.

"I'm surprised you showed up," Damon snapped. He now stood tall beside Katherine to highlight his power.

"I told you I would." She appeared hurt by his comment, but Elena knew it was just an act.

"You were supposed to be here hours ago."

"Oh." She faked innocence. "I must have misspoken."

"Where did Klaus and Stefan go?" Elena said as she crossed her arms. She was already tired of Katherine's games.

Instead of replying, Katherine walked over and closed the blinds. Since the lights in the room had never been turned on, the room was bathed in almost blackness.

"I'll pay a game with you, Damon," Katherine almost sung. "And if you win, I'll give you the information you want."

A growl issued from the darkness, and then Elena heard Katherine's body slam against the wall.

"I should have never trusted you," Damon snarled. "The only person you ever care about is yourself. I should have known you wouldn't give us the information we need."

After Katherine let out a growl of her own, Elena heard movement again, and the lights were suddenly on. Katherine stood next to the light switch with an expression that almost mirrored fear.

"I found out where Klaus and Stefan are going," she finally said. "It's hopeless Damon."

"I'll be the judge of that," Damon retorted. All of his muscles were tensed as he faked being calm.

She nodded. "Think about this first. Klaus is the only Original we know to still be alive. He has all of his family members staked somewhere that only he can get to. To add to that power, he's also a werewolf now. He can't be killed by a werewolf bite. We used the only weapon we had against Elijah. And even if we had that weapon back, there's no guarantee that Klaus can be hurt by that now." She moved away from her position and sat down on the bed. "To make matters even worse, Klaus now has Stefan. Stefan is powerful, especially when he's on human blood. And he's a little out of control right now. That doesn't help our cause."

"I fail to see your point."

Katherine lifted a perfect eyebrow. "Klaus has almost everything. So what could he possibly want now?"

For a few moments, Damon contemplated the answer. "He wants to rule," he finally shrugged.

"Exactly."

"But can't he do that now? Who's stopping him?"

At that, Katherine truly smiled. "I found a creature that operates on the same rules of a vampire. The older this creature is, the more power it has."

"And what is this creature called?" Elena asked as she found her voice.

"A kitsune," Katherine replied. "And there are two who are thousands of years old."

"So they can defeat Klaus?"

"If they decide to," Katherine replied. "Which I doubt they will."

Elena's head was hurting. "Then why would Klaus worry about them?"

"Because he wants to be the most powerful creature in existence," Damon responded. "And I've heard about the kitsune. They supposedly keep their power in special spheres because they have too much to hold in their bodies. They access the spheres as needed to do whatever magic they need to perform."

"So what is Klaus going to do?"

"Find the spheres of the most powerful two and destroy them," Katherine answered. "Or find some way to tap their power for himself."

"And where are they?"

It was then that Elena saw the hesitation in Damon's figure. He wasn't looking at Elena or Katherine, but instead staring at the ceiling. Katherine, however, didn't seem to care about Damon's odd response.

"No one really knows where they are," Katherine began slowly. "That's the point. If everyone knew, then the kitsune would all be dead. Instead, the kitsune hide them, and then create ludicrous riddles about their location. No one has ever been able to find them. There is only one place you can even go to hear the riddles."

"And where is that?" Elena felt her pulse race as Damon's blue eyes met hers. There was something in them that looked like fear. She held her breath as she turned to face Katherine.

"It's called the Dark Dimension," Katherine replied. "And if you go in there, you won't come out alive."

* * *

><p>an: Please review. =)


	4. Chapter 4 Ghosts

a/n: Thanks again to everyone who took the time to respond. I'm greatly enjoying writing this story and love getting feedback. I already have the next chapter written, so I'll probably post the next chapter later this week. As always, please review!

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><p>Chapter 4 Ghosts<p>

_I think you ought to stay away from here,  
>There are ghosts in the walls and they<br>Crawl in your head through your ear._  
>-Such Small Hands by La Dispute<p>

"I'm not even sure what I'm looking for." Bonnie exhaled deeply as she leaned back against her chair. In front of her lay the Grimoires she had stolen from Luka Martin's house. Although she had been searching through them the majority of the day, she had found nothing that even pertained to the evil Klaus had become.

"There has to be something there," Jeremy responded as he took her hand in his own. She smiled weakly at him as electricity spread through her veins. There was something about him that always set her on fire. "Have you looked into-"

He just stopped. Bonnie's eyes followed his gaze to the corner of the kitchen. All she could see were tidy counters and a refrigerator.

"What is it?"

"I…" He cocked his head to the side, and finally stood up. All Bonnie could do was watch as he walked over to the small window in the kitchen and stared outside. His dark eyes were squinted in concentration, and Bonnie felt like she had been trapped out of whatever was going on with him at the moment. Although she wanted to speak, she refrained from doing so and waited for him.

"If I told you I saw ghosts," he finally said. "Would you think I was crazy?"

Bonnie shook her head slowly. "After everything we've been through, the fact that you can see ghosts does little to surprise me," she spoke. "But why are you seeing them? What purpose could that fulfill…"

Her voice trailed off as she remembered back to when she had raised him from the dead. She had been told that there would be consequences, but never thought it would be something like this.

As she raced from the kitchen, she heard Jeremy calling after her. She didn't slow down though, and walked out of the front door. Her car was parked there, and she quickly got into it.

Her doors were locked before Jeremy could try to get in. Then, she sped down the streets toward the one place she knew she could go to get the answers she needed.

The witches' house wasn't that far away, and it didn't take her as long to get there as she had thought it would. She could feel her own power burn through her veins as she parked her car outside of the house and killed the engine. After letting out a deep breath, she got out and walked into the darkness.

She knew the path to where she was going by heart, although she had only been to this place a couple of times. It felt somewhat like home, although the other witches had made it clear that they didn't want her here. She could already hear their cries to her as she stepped into the center of her candle-lined circle.

"Emily!" she called out into the darkness. Without her doing so, the candles instantly sprang to life. "I need you."

_I told you to leave…_ a voice spoke in her mind.

It took Bonnie a second to recover. She was already crying and wiped away at the tears angrily.

"When you said there would be consequences, I thought you would take my life instead."

_That is not how nature works… We have _always_ been in charge of keeping a balance between the forces of nature. It is our duty._

"So Jeremy can see the dead?" Bonnie questioned as she looked up at the dark ceiling. "That is his curse?"

_Not a curse. It is his responsibility to see the ghosts that linger in this world. They cannot be sent on until the darkness is stopped._

Bonnie let out a deep breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "He's just given a job? What's the point of being able to see ghosts?"

_Life spirits still hold much power. They will be able to help you when the time comes to stop him._

"Him? You mean Klaus?"

_It is not up to me to say. You must find the truth on your own. But beware, for when one brings back a life to the Light, the Dark has the right to bring back one of their own too. If you wish to keep him safe, this must always remain in your mind._

A shock raced through Bonnie as Emily's words registered in her mind. _A life for a life_, she thought bitterly. If the enemy wanted to bring someone back, then they could.

"Does Jeremy have to be present for them to bring someone back?"

_Yes._

"How long will Jeremy see the ghosts?"

_Until the ritual to bring back one of the Dark is performed, or until the battle has ended. He cannot be set free from this responsibility in any other way._

Bonnie nodded slowly. Although this currently seemed overbearing, it wasn't quite as bad as she had first believed it to be. "How will we-"

_Enough_, Emily's voice came quickly. _He is here now. The rest you must do on your own. Good luck my heir, for this is the last time you will hear from me._

"Wait!" Bonnie cried, but it was too late. The candles flickered for a few seconds before the room fell into near darkness.

"Bonnie!" Jeremy called as she heard him approach. "What are you doing here?"

"Finding answers," she almost whispered. "I know why you can see ghosts."

"Why?"

It took Bonnie only a short while to fill him in on the conversation she had just had with Emily. When she finished, Jeremy just stared at her for a few seconds.

"Who would Klaus even want to bring back to life?" he finally asked. "It's not like the 'Dark' are big on friendship and loyalty."

"We don't even know that they'll try to bring someone back," Bonnie replied. "They might not even know that they can. And if someone does try, we're not guaranteed that Klaus will be the one to try to bring someone back. There are many other villains out there."

"So right now we're just hoping that no one knows?"

"Pretty much," Bonnie sighed as Jeremy sat down beside her on the floor. "Can you communicate with the people you see?"

"No," he shook his head. "I can see and hear them, and I think they can see me, but I'm not sure they can hear me. I've never had someone respond to what I've said."

"And who can you see?" Bonnie asked softly. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"I've seen Anna and Vicki," he began. "And Jenna. She was the hardest person to see."

Bonnie thought back to what Emily had just told her. If what she had said was true, their spirits couldn't move on until Klaus had been defeated. Currently, Bonnie wasn't even sure if that was possible.

"Do you think you can handle trying to talk to a ghost?" Bonnie questioned.

"I think so," Jeremy nodded.

Bonnie nodded back in response. "Then let's try this."

* * *

><p>Elena sat down on the bed and repeated what Katherine had just said. "The Dark Dimension?"<p>

"That's what I said," Katherine replied in her usual annoyed-at-the-world tone.

"What is this place?" Elena questioned as her brown eyes now went to Damon. He still tried to avert her gaze.

"It's one of those places humans don't need to go," he finally sighed as he ruffled his dark hair. "All humans are subjected to slave-like labor. There is really no way for humans to escape."

Those words conjured up dark thoughts in Elena's mind that consisted of torture and human sacrifice. When she closed her eyes, she could see Jules' heart being ripped out of her chest. She wondered if that was a common occurrence there.

Pushing down her fears, she inhaled deeply. "I'm not going to sit here while you two go there to get answers," Elena made clear.

"Who said _we_ were going anywhere?" Damon replied.

Even though he said those words, Elena knew they weren't true. Damon's blue eyes glistened with resolution. Now, she just had to convince Damon to let her go with him.

"I'm going with you there," Elena spoke softly. "I need to be prepared for what I'll face."

"This is where it gets complicated." Damon sat down on the bed beside her. "It's not like we can cross into the Dark Dimension with you _and_ Katherine. You look exactly like her. We don't want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves."

"I'm happy to let her go in my place," Katherine spoke as she held up her hands in mock surrender. "There's no reason for me to get involved in this."

Damon ignored her remark and stayed focused on Elena. "When you go in, we'll have to act like you're my slave. You'll be given bracelets to wear to mark your status. The entire time we're there, you'll have to keep those on."

"I can handle it."

Damon nodded. "You'll see things there that will be worse than any nightmare you've had."

"I can handle it," she repeated sternly. She took his hand into hers and looked deep into her eyes. "I'm going Damon."

"I can't protect you there," he spoke in a pleading voice. "I know you want to help him, but I can go by myself. If something happened to you…" He let the thought trail off as he shook his head.

"If you don't need me," Katherine said and broke the moment up. "I'm leaving. If you're still alive, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Elena asked as she looked at her doppelganger. "How will we be back by then?"

"Time works differently there," Damon responded. His eyes hadn't left Elena. "The nearest entry point is about an hour away. So we have an hour there and back, plus about another hour's worth of time in the Dark Dimension. It shouldn't take long at all."

Elena nodded as if she understood perfectly. Truthfully, all of this was starting to make her head hurt.

"I'll meet you back here tomorrow," Katherine spoke before she vanished out of the room.

When they were alone again, it took Elena only a few seconds to realize that she was still holding onto Damon's hand. Her pulse sped up, and she knew that Damon could hear her heart beat. Giving him a weak smile, she let go of him and brushed a hand through her hair.

"Are we going to leave now?" she finally asked.

"We could always wait until the morning," Damon replied. "You have to sleep at some point."

"I feel like I've been sleeping all day," she responded truthfully. "I vote we get some food and then head to the Dark Dimension."

He only nodded in response before he moved around the room and picked up some random items they'd brought with them. He threw his own bag over his shoulder before offering Elena her duffle.

"Are you sure about this?" Damon asked one last time.

"Positive."

Damon nodded once in response before turning and walking out the door.

* * *

><p>an: Please review!


	5. Chapter 5 Come What May

a/n: Thank you to those who reviewed my last chapter. This chapter was one of my favorites to write. As I delve more into the Dark Dimension, and other aspects included in the book, I want everyone to know that I'm changing a lot of things. So something that was in the books one way may be completely different in my story. I just want to make the material my own. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. And please review! =)

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><p>Chapter 5 Come What May<p>

_Your love makes a fool of you, you can't seem to understand,  
>A heart doesn't play by rules and love has its own demands…<em>  
>-Will Do by TV on the Radio<p>

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Alaric asked as he moved outside the Gilbert house to stay next to Bonnie. "Are you sure nothing will happen to Jeremy?"

"I'm not sure," Bonnie replied truthfully. "But we have to see. This is his responsibility now."

The sadness in her voice was apparent, but she pushed past it as she sat down the last candle. She had managed to transform the yard into a summoning location. The candles spread out in a large triangle that would draw power. Jeremy had already moved into the center, and waited for Bonnie to begin the spell she had found earlier that night.

First, she lit the candles that lined the triangle. With the clouded sky above, the flames emitted the majority of the light in the area.

"_Audi et alteram partem_," Bonnie began to chant. "_Audi et alteram partem_."

"Do you see anyone?" Alaric called from nearby. The wind had picked up and hounded down on them now.

"Yes," Jeremy's voice wavered. "Can you hear me?"

It looked strange to see Jeremy speaking to someone he couldn't see, but Alaric had long since dismissed the idea of anything being impossible.

Jeremy walked forward a few steps, but stopped just at the border of the triangle. "I've missed you so much."

_I never thought I'd see you again,_ Jenna's voice invaded Alaric's mind. He tried to hold back tears, but couldn't. They fell freely from his blue eyes. He longed to see her so much his chest ached.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you," Alaric asked softly. "I should have been there for you."

_It was never your fault. Evil tries to wipe out all that is good. We must stop it._

"So you know why you're here?" Bonnie spoke up.

_We're meant to assist you_, Jenna's voice continued. _All innocents who have been killed are coming here. She told me the only way we can rest is by ending this fight._

"Who told you?" Alaric asked as he once again found his voice.

_I don't know._

"Do you know what you're capable of?" Bonnie questioned.

_Our power is meant to be used by yours and your kind. We have certain abilities, but we cannot use them on our own._

"And what are these abilities?"

It was then that Alaric looked to Jeremy. His entire body was shaking, as if this spell was taking something out of him. In one sudden movement, he convulsed, and then fell to the ground.

"Jeremy!" Bonnie screamed as she raced forward. The candles went out as she crashed to the ground beside him.

When she placed his head in her lap, he let out a soft groan.

"It took so much energy to speak with her," Jeremy said quietly. His brown eyes fluttered before finally staying open.

"But I did the spell," Bonnie responded in a quizzical tone.

"But I was the one connected with her," Jeremy replied. His face no longer looked as pale as it had moments before. "We have to try that again."

"Not now." Bonnie ran her fingers through Jeremy's shaggy hair. "Just rest."

"I can still see her," he mumbled. "I just can't talk to her."

"We'll figure this out later." Bonnie continued to sooth him. "Please just rest now."

It stabbed Alaric's heart to watch them together like that. At one point he had had that love too. Now, it just felt like a painful memory.

And even though he hadn't seen Jenna, he had felt her. He still felt her. Nothing had ever been so annoying to feel someone and not be able to touch them. All he wanted to do was hold her, and find some way to save her.

_The Dark has the right to bring back one of their own too_… Alaric could hear Bonnie's voice in his mind as she had explained what had happened with Emily. The temptation lurked beneath the surface to try to bring her back. She had been a vampire when she had died, and being a vampire would make her a creature of the Dark.

Turning away from the couple, Alaric went back inside to contemplate some things.

* * *

><p>"I don't see anything, Damon," Elena spoke as she stared at the trees in front of them. "Are you sure this is where we're supposed to go?"<p>

"I'm fairly certain," Damon replied. "And obviously humans can't see the gateways or there would be a multitude of reporters here at all times."

Elena crossed her arms over her chest. "So what do we do?"

"_We_ do nothing. _I_ will go and try to open it."

Staying in her spot, Elena watched as Damon walked over to the nearest tree and tried to find some form of an opening to go through. At that moment, she felt oddly like Alice. If only they had a white rabbit to show them where they needed to go, then maybe they could find the entrance to this foreign world.

As Elena's brown eyes spanned the area, she tried to reassure herself that she was safe. Despite Damon's pleas that they wait until the morning to find the entrance to the Dark Dimension, she had wanted to find it now. It was still a few hours before dawn, and she was starting to feel tired. They had stopped and ordered food for her on the way, and Damon had drunk some of the blood bags he had brought with him on this quest. Elena had thought the food would bring her energy, but it had only made her sleepy.

Damon's scream tore through the clearing then, and her entire body shuddered. Before she even made the conscious decision to do so, she was sprinting toward the area Damon had been in. She had just moved around the tree when strong arms caught her and held her in place.

"Shh," Damon hissed in her ear. "Listen."

She stood there in silence and listened for any sound. After a few minutes, she heard something that sounded like running water.

"Follow me," Damon whispered as he moved farther into the wooded area. Although Elena kept glancing around for a source of the sound, she never saw one.

"I have to put this on you," he continued as he pulled a small piece of fabric from one of his pockets. "They won't accept the fact that I've let you see how to get to the gateway." He paused for a mere second. "They will also expect you to be tied."

All of Elena's fears threatened to consume her, but she allowed Damon to take the fabric and tie it around her head so she could no longer see. Part of her wanted to revolt against the darkness so she tried to focus only on the good that would come out of her present misery.

It took him only a few more seconds to tie her hands together behind her back. She hated feeling like she was trapped, but understood why it had to be done.

She felt his hands on her back as he pushed her forward. There was a moment where she couldn't breathe, and her body shuddered under the drastic change in temperature. It was cold where they were now. The sound of the rushing water was louder. Afraid that she might fall into the water, she tried to move her hands to take the blindfold off. As she fought against her bonds, Damon's voice came soft against her ear.

"You have to stop."

Although she obeyed almost instantly, it didn't make her like the situation any more than she had before.

"I see you have a slave," a masculine voice spoke quite coldly. "You will have to pay for her to cross too."

Did she hear that right? What were they crossing?

"I have the full payment," Damon replied in close to the same tone. She heard the sound of metal clanking against itself as the coins were transferred to the unseen man.

Damon's strong arms lifted her up then and placed her back down only a short time after. As her feet hit the ground, she almost lost her balance. Whatever she stood on rocked back and forth slightly. It was then that Elena decided they were crossing the river she had heard earlier.

"Charon," Damon spoke in acknowledgement. His tone reflected his uneasiness. "I bet it gets boring rowing this boat back and forth hundreds of times each day."

The man laughed. "It gives me the chance to throw people overboard I don't like."

At that Damon fell silent.

The worst part of not being able to see was that Elena took the sounds she heard and imagined her own reality of them. People screamed and cried; their voices seeming to come from the river itself. She visualized grotesque figures drifting in the water, their skin half decayed, and their eyes lifeless slits. After thinking for a few seconds, she decided it was probably better that she couldn't see.

When the boat stopped moving, Damon lifted Elena up into his arms again and exited the boat. He didn't speak to Charon again, and Elena decided that probably was for the best. She had no desire to find out what happened when you entered the river alive.

They moved only a few feet before Damon set her back down and removed her blindfold. Although her wrists still remained tied, she was glad that she could see again.

Currently, they stood in an area that looked like an airport terminal. Different creatures scurried back and forth to destinations Elena would never know. There seemed to be one main point of entrance into the world beyond this building, and lines of creatures stood there to wait their turn to pass.

Without saying anything, Damon led Elena to the line and joined it.

The man in front of them turned to face Damon, and offered him a fanged smile.

"I always hate these lines," the man spoke. "You would think they would have a simpler way for the regulars to enter."

"I know," Damon smirked as if he completely understood and agreed. "It feels as if they're treating us like humans making us go through these ridiculous lines."

The man barked out a deep laugh. "My name is Sage."

"Damon."

As the two men continued to talk, Elena took the chance to really look at Sage. His appearance matched Elena's vision of what a real-life Greek god would have looked like. Bronze hair curled around his face and went almost to his shoulders. Here, she could make out the carefully sculpted muscles that were apparent even with his shirt on. He didn't look like someone she would want to cross, and hoped that they never had to.

After about five minutes, it was Sage's turn to go through the line. Since he had no one with him, it took him only a few moments to pass through security. Then, he turned and winked at Damon before disappearing.

Damon then pushed Elena forward and smiled at the woman standing guard.

"This is my slave."

"Congratulations?" the woman responded as she arched an eyebrow. "And you are?"

"Damon Salvatore."

The woman appeared to be going through an internal database. Her eyes were slightly out of focus, but she was clearly thinking. Finally, she nodded and turned back to Damon.

"Just remember that she must wear these at all times," she continued as she held up two black bracelets. She put them on Elena's wrists and snapped them into place. "If she is caught without them, both you and she will be subject to punishment."

"I'm not that stupid," Damon smirked.

"It is policy I tell you," the woman smiled back. "Even if you have heard this multiple times." She finally handed Damon something that looked like a bizarre passport. "Welcome to the Dark Dimension Mr. Salvatore. I hope you enjoy your stay here."

* * *

><p>an: I stole the Latin used in Bonnie's spell from a website called Yuni Words of Wisdom. I would cite it correctly if fanfiction would let me. It means, "Hear the other side too." Although I doubt that phrase was ever meant to be used in that way, it fit my purpose perfectly.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Alaric's decision, and what the Dark Dimension will really be like.

Please review. =)


	6. Chapter 6 Longing and Regret

a/n: Thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one as well. =)

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><p>Chapter 6 Longing and Regret<p>

_If you could only see the beast you've made of me,_  
><em>I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free...<em>  
>-Howl by Florence + the Machine<p>

When Elena and Damon exited the terminal, Elena took in a sharp breath. Whatever she had expected to see when she left the room hadn't been this.

The city before them was spectacular. Buildings rose toward the sky in a massive display of Gothic architecture. The sky reflected a setting sun, and its crimson reflection lit up the sky. It looked at the same time absolutely beautiful and utterly frightening.

Before Elena had time to say anything, Damon was already moving. She had to weave in and out of the throng of citizens to keep up with him. The people she passed seemed to pay little attention to her, and she was very thankful for that. Damon suddenly stopped then, and Elena ran straight into him.

It took her brown eyes only a few seconds to land on the building in front of them. Known as The Crimson Bed, the hotel rose hundreds of stories up to the blood red sky. Its exterior was painted a bright gold with ornate details carved into the smooth stone. Stained glass windows could be seen from their current location, but the glass itself seemed to only come in the colors of red, black, gold, and silver. Although Elena was sure some people would have found this sight magnificent, she found it slightly eerie.

She followed Damon inside the building then, and was greeted with more Gothic architecture. Massive chandeliers fell from the expansive ceiling and lit up the area with their warm candlelight. Parts of the room, however, weren't lit by that light, and fell into hauntingly beautiful shadows. The walls were the same gold the building outside had been. A desk stood at the far end of the room, and a muscular vampire offered them a welcoming smile.

"Welcome to The Crimson Bed," he spoke slowly. "I do not remember seeing you here before."

"I thought I'd try something new." Damon smiled his infamous rogue grin. "I'd like a room."

"Of course Monsieur." He glanced down at the book in front of him. "Is there any particular area you would like to stay in?"

"I'm fine with whatever," Damon laughed.

The man nodded before he produced a key from underneath the desk. It changed shape even as Damon's skin touched it.

"It will be two hundred milos."

After rummaging in his pocket, Damon produced some gold coins she had never seen before. Damon counted the coins twice, and Elena could tell from his expression that he was stalling.

"I'll cover their room as well," a voice boomed from behind. Elena turned around to see the vampire they had met earlier. "Call it a gift from a new friend."

Although Damon didn't speak, he did nod in response. Sage pushed past them before whispering to the desk attendant. The man rummaged underneath his desk, and pulled out a key similar to Damon's.

"It is also nice to have you here Monsieur Sage." The man smiled at the money he was given by Sage. "We hope you enjoy your stay."

Elena shuddered before she walked with Damon to the elevator that was situated in the otherwise ancient looking room. Sage piled in the elevator with them, and remained silent even after the doors closed.

"The rates have changed since I was here last," Damon joked awkwardly.

"I know this is your first time here." Sage spoke. His green eyes stayed focused on the elevator door. "If anyone here really knew who you were, you wouldn't last very long."

"And why's that?" Damon questioned as he arched an eyebrow.

"I hope to explain shortly."

They stopped on the thirteenth floor, and Elena would have found this amusing in any other circumstance. Here, however, she felt like they needed all the luck they could get. There was no need to curse themselves.

Since Sage had been their savior, they followed him down the hallway and to his room. They passed the room of the number on Damon's key before stopping at the next door.

Sage opened the door quietly and moved aside to allow his guests to pass through. When he had shut the door behind him, he motioned for Elena and Damon to sit down. They did so obediently, and let the silence consume them.

Elena used those moments of silence to take in the room. It held the same color scheme the rest of the hotel consisted of with its gold walls, black tiles floors, and white couches. A few red accent pillows had been thrown in for an added effect. Although she thought the colors should appear warm, they made the room feel nothing but cold.

"It is a pleasure to meet the famous doppelganger of Katerina Petrova," Sage almost hummed. "The news of the sacrifice and your resurrection have spread like wildfire. You are quite the celebrity here."

"I wouldn't think that would matter so much here," Elena said. Her brown eyes were alive with courage.

"Everything matters here," Sage replied softly. He didn't sit down himself, but continued to pace in front of them.

"The news of Klaus becoming more powerful was something no one here wanted to hear," he continued. "Our society functions smoothly in its current system, and the majority of the creatures who live here have been alive for centuries, if not millenniums. We dislike change and anything that threatens our order."

"I didn't see you there when we were fighting Klaus," Damon retorted. He seemed to have regained his normal arrogance. "Did it ever occur to you that you might need to intervene?"

"The reason we in the Dark Dimension have been alive for so long is that we have learned to make alliances with the correct people at the correct time. Waging a war when we are unsure of the outcome is something we are not accustomed to."

"So why did you even bring us here?"

"Because I have realized that I'm involved in this war regardless of whether or not I want to be in it." His green eyes glistened like fire. "I will not bow down to another vampire, especially one who has no regard for the hierarchy established here. We may not bind to the same moral code as humans," his gaze traveled to Elena, "but we do have rules. Breaking them is something only a psychopath would do."

A grin crept across the corners of Elena's lips. Calling Klaus a psychopath was a drastic understatement.

"I must ask, though, that you inform me of your plans to stop Klaus," Sage continued. "Despite his power, he has no form of decency. He refused to even come to the Dark Dimension on his own, and instead sent one of his slaves to do his bidding. I want to know what he's after, and the reason you chose to follow his minion here."

"He's searching for a kitsune sphere," Elena spoke up. Her voice sounded small in the massive room. "He wanted to hear the riddles so he can find them, and kill the only other creatures who are stronger than he is."

A booming laugh escaped Sage's perfectly sculpted lips. "He is a fool for thinking that he could ever find their orbs. If they could have been found, they would have been found long before now."

"We still have to try."

"So this is really what this is about?" Sage grinned. "You're truly trying to find their power?"

"It's the only hope we have."

Sage shrugged at that. "If you would like to hear the riddles and legends, then that can easily be arranged. They are told like fairy tales here."

"Really?" Elena was on her feet, and then Damon's hand was on her wrist to pull her back. Instead of going with her own instincts, or allowing Damon to pull her back, she simply stood her ground.

"I've heard the stories countless times," Sage began as if in thought. "I know someone who was the tales memorized though." He nodded as if it was decided. "I shall go arrange a meeting with him for you. I will return shortly."

He didn't wait for a response, and instead walked out of the room without another word. When they were left alone, Elena turned and looked at Damon.

"So what do we do now?" she asked.

"Stay here," Damon shrugged. "I'm not sure if I trust this guy, but I'd rather not cross him."

Nodding, Elena settled into the couch beside Damon. Despite the fact that they were about a foot apart, Elena's body was tingling with nerves. The candlelight reflected in Damon's blue eyes, and Elena tried to pull away, but her own gaze was locked there.

"What do we do when we hear the riddles?" Elena asked softly. "How do we get out of here?"

"I'm not sure," Damon replied truthfully. His voice was as quiet as hers was.

It took Elena a second to see the pain that had etched itself into Damon's blue orbs. "What's wrong?"

"I lied." He shook his head as if he couldn't believe he was saying this. "I meant everything I said to you when I thought I was going to die."

Elena swallowed hard. Her heart hammered in her chest, and it was hard to sit next to him and remain silent.

"Elena," Damon whispered. His face was only a few inches from hers now. "If I could change all of this, I-"

And she kissed him. She wasn't sure what made her do it: the fact that she cared for him, that he'd followed her into this place to save his brother, or the way this room made her feel. This kiss wasn't anything like their previous one had been. That kiss had reflected her longing; her attempt at wondering what could have been between them. It had been gentle, as if she had been kissing Damon goodbye. This kiss, however, lacked any of that gentleness.

Her hands knotted in his dark hair as she pulled Damon closer to her. In that moment, it felt like any space between them would be too much.

As his hands ran up her arms, fire burned her skin. Her lips let out an involuntary groan as she struggled against his hungry kisses. She had never wanted something so much before. It was as if she had been thirsty for years, and only now understood it.

For a second, Elena hesitated. Her lips hovered less than an inch from his. As much as she wanted to kiss him again, she regretfully pulled away.

_It's okay to love them both… I did._

Elena shook her head and tried to clear her thoughts from things she didn't want to think about. Her longing for Damon hadn't subsided, but had instead been fueled. It was as if she had lit a twig on the edge of a forest on fire, only to realize that a wildfire already blazed within.

"I'm so sorry," Elena breathed. Currently, it was hard for her to even find the air she needed. "I shouldn't have." She stood up and turned to go somewhere else, but Damon was faster and caught her by the wrist.

"It wasn't your fault," Damon replied. She could see the own longing in his eyes, and currently hated herself for what she had done.

She blinked away tears from her own eyes, and smiled sadly at him. "I'm no different than her."

Damon's grasp on her slackened, and she turned away from him. Although the hotel room didn't belong to them, she still went into the bedroom area. She didn't look back as she closed the bedroom door behind her. She locked it then with a resounding click.

When the near darkness consumed her, she leaned against the door and collapsed onto the floor. It was at that moment that she wondered how she could be so frustrated, confused, and heartbroken all at the same time. Her tears lingered on her dark eyes, but refused to fall. They seemed as indecisive as she was.

She stayed there for a while before finally deciding to go back and talk to Damon about everything that had happened. When she opened the bedroom door, her eyes spanned the area. As she took in the sight, she let out a deep breath. Damon was gone.

* * *

><p>an: I hope you enjoyed Damon and Elena's kiss. If you read this chapter, please take the time to review it. Reviews are always appreciated. =)


	7. Chapter 7 Ramifications

a/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one was well. And as always, please review. =)

* * *

><p>Chapter 7 Ramifications<p>

_Cause everywhere I seem to be,__  
><em>_I am only passing through,__  
><em>_I dream these days about the sea,__  
><em>_Always wake up feeling blue,__  
><em>_Wishing I could dream of you…_  
>-Wait by Alexi Murdoch<p>

Damon stood outside the hotel room and tried to shake his current feeling of pain from his core. After everything Katherine had done to him, he had sworn to never love again. And it was slightly ironic that when he was trying not to love again, he somehow managed to truly fall in love for the first time.

When he had first learned about Katherine's true nature, he had wanted eternity with her. It had seemed like such a dream. Eternity to learn to love and to be loved. Yet, now that he had eternity, all he wanted were days.

Days where he could hold her. Days where they could soak in the sun. Days where they could count the stars and never finish. Days where she could fall in love with him. Days where he could learn everything about her…

It was odd how it took his curse of eternity to learn how much each second meant.

There was also the guilt that she belonged to Stefan that created a weight on his shoulders greater than the one Atlas himself bore. Stefan had selflessly given up everything to save him. And it took a little over a day for him to kiss Elena.

Some of the first words she had said to him after the kiss were that she was just like Katherine. Truthfully, he wasn't even sure what she meant from those words. It was true that Elena had also kissed both Salvatore men, but she would never be anything like Katherine.

He wasn't sure where he was going to walk, but knew he had to get away from that room. Those, at least, were his intensions until the elevator at the end of the hallway opened and a disheveled looking Sage appeared out of the doors.

They stood and stared at each other before Sage finally shook his head. "We have much to talk about."

* * *

><p>Elena sat back on the couch in the living area of the hotel room as Sage paced back and forth. When he and Damon had reentered the room, they had remained silent. Damon had disappeared into a corner to stand instead of sitting by Elena. Currently, she was thankful for the space.<p>

When she had told Damon that she was no different than Katherine, she hadn't really meant that she loved him too. She just knew that she cared about him deeply. Yet, she had somehow found herself kissing him even while she was dating his brother. The first time she had cheated on Stefan was forgivable. Damon had, after all, been dying. But this time? Was it forgivable too?

Truthfully, Elena didn't know how to feel. If she closed her eyes, she could still imagine Damon kissing her with a passion she had yet to feel with his brother. Yet, his brother brought her love, and it was he who she had given her heart to. And if that was truly the case, then why had she even been tempted to kiss Damon?

All of her thoughts were making her dizzy, so instead of giving into them, she turned her attention to Sage. Something close to grief lined his green eyes as he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"Books in this place are hard to come by," he began slowly. "We normally store our memories in other fashions." He stopped pacing and finally looked to Elena. "We have a special place here, known as the Hall of Knowledge, where information is stored. Special people are assigned to this library, and it was there that I wanted you to go to hear the tales of the kitsune treasures. They have the exact legends there, and anywhere else you go will only be what was remembered. And that information may not be enough."

"But something happened," Damon remarked. "I can tell from your tone."

"You are correct," he nodded. "Upon entering the Hall of Knowledge, I learned that all of the librarians had been massacred. The book with the kitsune legends had been taken."

Recognition dawned on Elena's face, and she hoped that she was wrong. "You said earlier that Klaus didn't come here himself… That someone else came here for him."

"I did." His voice was sad.

"It was Stefan Salvatore, wasn't it?"

"There are rumors it was him," Sage nodded. "They speak of extraordinary things that he has accomplished. Are you sure this man is the one you want to find?"

"Yes." Elena clutched at the necklace that lay over her heart. "We have to find him."

"Very well," Sage nodded. "Then I will tell you what I know of the legends."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet."

* * *

><p><em>The man known as Shinichi strolled through the forest with his sister Misao. They looked almost like twins with their matching black hair and golden eyes. Although their appearances spoke of innocence, they both possessed a deeper cunning underneath. That was why they were in this forest this late at night. All members of their small village had heard the tales of the being who lurked within these trees. This night they hoped to find him.<em>

"_Do you think we will find him?" Misao asked. Her black dress stood out in stark contrast with her light skin, and the material bounced as she skipped over a fallen tree limb. _

"_We've brought everything that was required," Shinichi spoke. He continued to carry the body of the dead girl in his arms. "I see no reason he wouldn't show up."_

_A grin crossed Misao's beautiful face. "I am excited, brother."_

"_Me too, sister."_

_When they reached a clearing, they stopped in unison. Misao giggled before reaching into her bag and pulling out a long dagger. It was tipped with blond, and she used it to draw a pentagram in the soft dirt. Shinichi placed the dead girl in the center before they both stepped back and waited. _

_The edges of the pentagram blazed with fire. Howls echoed in the depths of the forest. As the flames grew higher, a man appeared in the center of the figure near the dead girl. _

"_You have dared to call me?" the man smirked. _

"_We come to ask for power," Shinichi spoke as he took a step forward. "As you are aware, we brought the needed components for you to cast the spell upon us. We did everything that was demanded of us."_

"_Yet, what if I do not desire to bestow on you this curse?" the man shrugged. He pushed his dark bangs out of his dark eyes lazily. "I could always kill you instead."_

"_We know the rules," Misao responded bravely. "You are trapped within that shape. And you are bound by your word to give us what we ask."_

"_You are only right in one of those claims." Smiling the entire time, the man stepped out of the pentagram and onto the earth beyond. "Nothing can contain me."_

_Instead of being frightened, Misao grinned and moved forward. "You are more than we ever dreamed for."_

_The man seemed impressed by her boldness. "At least you are worthy of the power you will gain."_

"_So you will give us this thing?" Her eyes were alive with delight. _

"_There will be ramifications," he explained. "Part of your power will need to be stored in orbs outside of your body. Those orbs must be hidden away from where you live."_

_Misao seemed eager to get the ceremony underway. "We will take whatever consequences that may come our way."_

"_Very well," the man nodded. "Then let's begin." _

_Misao handed him the bloodstained dagger without even being told to do so. The man took the dagger, and then stabbed her in the heart. Her dead body crumpled to the ground with a soft thud. Shinichi looked as if he wanted to run away then, but stood frozen in his current location. A grin tugged at the corners of the man's lips as he stabbed Shinichi too. Their bodies lay motionless on the earth for minutes until Misao twitched. _

"_That. Was. Awesome." Misao enunciated as she pushed herself off the ground. She examined her body to determine how different things were now. "So I'm dead?" she asked in wonder. _

"_Yes." The man seemed bored now. He handed her and Shinichi two different glass spheres. He didn't even wait to hear them respond before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke..._

"And they hid those spheres that were filled with their power as they were told to do," Sage continued as he broke away from the story he had been telling. "Misao felt that she had hidden the spheres in such spectacular places that she even created riddles to lure people to them. She had such confidence in herself that they would never be found."

"And those riddles are?"

"_You must find an honest one, one of only forty-three, if you wish to seek this orb of the kitsune. His birthplace is where this item is laid, in the depths of the sinking spring. Go here and the ultimate treasure will then be thine, for the discoverer will then have what's mine._"

"Do you have any idea where that could be?" Damon questioned Sage.

"No," he shook his head.

"Wait." Elena was on her feet now. She started to move toward Damon, but then stopped and turned to Sage instead. "Have those always been the kitsune riddles?"

"Of course not." He waved a dismissive hand. "Misao gets bored and changes the location every century or so. That riddle is the current one."

"We need to get back, Damon." Urgency raced through Elena's veins as she tried not to let her hope overtake her body. "I think I know where it is."

"What?" Damon and Sage both said simultaneously. Then, Damon continued, "How could you know, when people have searched for centuries to find them?"

"The riddles were made to be told to vampires and other immortals," Elena explained. Her brown eyes looked deep into Damon's. "This is the first time you've been here since you turned. Do you think you would remember some trivial bit of information from the time you were human?"

"It depends on how important it was to me," he shrugged, but he seemed to be open to the fact she knew where the item was. "So you think Misao hid the item in an area no vampire would know about? Something that only humans would know?"

"Exactly," Elena nodded. "No human could get here without being a slave to a vampire. And what slave is actually going to be able to hear the riddles? You said it was almost impossible to get a human out of here anyway."

"Exactly," Damon said softly. "I don't know how we're going to get _you_ back."

Elena swallowed hard. It was difficult to feel like she knew the answer, and had no way of getting back.

"Do you have any ideas?" Elena asked as she turned to Sage. She wasn't sure what they had done to earn his help, but was beyond grateful for it.

"The terminal isn't the only way out of here," Sage spoke slowly. "But that doesn't mean that leaving through another gateway will be any easier."

"Where is the nearest one?" Damon questioned. He had left his corner and stood near Elena and Sage now.

"About an hour from here," Sage replied. "We can leave tomorrow morning if you choose to."

Damon nodded. "That sounds fine."

"I want to leave now," Elena protested. "I'm not tired Damon."

As soon as those words left her lips, she knew he saw that she was lying. Every part of her body was tired. Still, she knew they had to hurry if they wanted to get to the kitsune sphere before Stefan and Klaus.

"It will be a matter of minutes in the real world," Damon argued. "Resting here will save us more time than if you sleep when we get back."

Elena hated the fact that what he said made sense. "I guess we'll see you tomorrow then," she smiled to Sage as both her and Damon left the room.

When they were in their own room, neither said a word. Part of Elena wanted to talk to him about everything, find some way to apologize, but the other side of her felt like it was useless. They stared at each other in silence before Damon finally raked a hand through his dark hair.

"I'll stay out here." He pointed to the couch. "Go in there and get some sleep."

Nodding, Elena turned and walked into the bedroom area. Her brown eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, reflecting both her pain and longing. Then, she closed the door between them, and attempted to sleep.

* * *

><p>an: So I actually wrote those riddles to lead to a real location. I'd love for you to try and figure it out.

And please review. =)


	8. Chapter 8 Leaving Wonderland

a/n: Thank you to everyone who responded. I was so grateful for all the reviews. Things have been crazy in my life lately. My best friend's family was in a terrible car wreck, and her family needs all the help they can get. If you love God, please lift up this family in prayer.  
>And because of everything that happened, the ONLY reason this is getting posted is because I have up to chapter 13 written.<br>I hope you enjoy this, and please review.

* * *

><p>Chapter 8 Leaving Wonderland<p>

_Tell me what I want to say,_  
><em>Save me for another day.<em>  
><em>Break me, it's the game you play,<em>  
><em>Hate me as I turn away.<em>  
>-Looking Glass by The Birthday Massacre<p>

"Are you sure this is the place Elena said she was at?" Tyler asked as he leaned against the outside of the hotel. "We've tried every door, Caroline. Either they're not answering, or they've left."

Caroline pouted. "I can't believe they moved on."

"Can't you just compel the person at the front desk to tell you what room they were staying in?"

Frowning, Caroline nodded slowly. "Maybe."

Thankfully, Tyler followed her as they made their way past all the doors they had recently tried and back toward the reception desk. The man smiled at her as she entered, his crooked white teeth couldn't have looked more human.

"Are you two looking for a room?" the man smirked. "It'll be 50 dollars."

Caroline faked a smile as she crossed the room to the man. "I'm actually looking for someone who is staying here." She leaned against desk and toyed with the ends of her curly hair. Although compulsion could have worked, she wanted to try seduction first. "She's a dark brunette with long hair and brown eyes. She would have been with a guy with brown hair and blue eyes. Do you know where they are?"

The guy blinked his hazel eyes as if trying to remember something he had forgotten. But then he shook his head, "I'm sorry miss. I don't remember seeing anyone like that here."

It was hard for Caroline to find the power to do what she needed to do next. Smiling again at the man, she looked straight into his eyes.

"I need you to tell me where the man and girl are," she spoke smoothly. "Remember where they are." Her last sentence was a command, and the guy shook his head as he cleared his foggy memory.

"They were in room seven," he spoke slowly. "They didn't pay for their room…"

Suppressing a grin, Caroline continued staring into the man's eyes. "Now, forget me and everything I forced you to remember. Turn around and count to one hundred before you go back to your duties."

The man obeyed, and Caroline quickly turned and raced out of the room.

"No one was in that room," Tyler remarked as they headed toward that door.

"Maybe they weren't answering," Caroline responded. She knew too that no one had answered when they had pounded on that door. With so few tenants, it wasn't hard to remember which rooms had actually been occupied. She just hoped that this time they received different results.

"Elena!" Caroline called as she hit the door. "Open up. It's Caroline and Tyler!"

When no one responded, Caroline looked to Tyler with her bright blue eyes. "Any suggestions?"

Tyler shrugged before he tried the door. Surprisingly, it opened.

The inside of the room was dark, so Caroline slid in only enough to flip on the light switch. When yellow light washed over the area, she was greeted by a small, oddly decorated and very empty room.

"Maybe they're out somewhere?" Tyler tried to reassure her.

"Maybe." Caroline walked farther into the room as Tyler shut the door behind them. She noticed that he locked the door too.

Wanting to make sure the place was completely clear, she quickly checked both the bathroom and small closet in the area. Grateful that no one jumped out at her, Caroline walked over to the bed and sat down beside Tyler.

"This was a long drive for nothing," he mused. His brown eyes surveyed the area, but found no proof that Elena or Damon was ever there.

"Any ideas on what to do next?" she asked. She had been so sure that they would find them here, and then help on whatever quest they were on. Now, hopelessness washed over her. She had always been strong, but all she wanted to do now was cry.

"Come here," Tyler whispered, and she once again found herself being comforted in his arms. It was strange, she thought, how everything else could melt away when she was with him. "It's pointless heading back now. Maybe we can call Bonnie and let her do a tracking spell on Elena."

Caroline nodded in response. "It's really late. We'll have to wait until tomorrow morning."

As she pulled away, she looked around the room. There was only one bed,.

"I can sleep on the floor," Tyler said as he stood up. Apparently he had been thinking the same thing she had.

Slowly, Caroline stood up beside him. His brown eyes looked to her in question, and a heat ran through her that she hadn't felt in a long time. She wasn't going to deny that she loved Matt, she truly did. But he had made it clear that he no longer wanted her in his life. And with the fire she felt burning in her core now, she just wanted an escape from everything.

Her mouth crashed down on Tyler's, and he let out a surprised gasp. She pulled apart quickly then, but the heat had only intensified. Momentarily, he looked like he was going to say something. That moment passed quickly, however, and then he was kissing her. His hands tangled in her blond curls, and her mouth opened to allow his tongue to enter. Her teeth skimmed his tongue as he slid it back out again, and they both moaned with pleasure.

But then he pushed her away, and held her back at arm's length.

"I want this more than you can even imagine," Tyler panted. His dark eyes looked straight into hers as he continued to hold onto her with shaking arms. "But I care about you Caroline. _A lot_. I want to go slow."

She closed the distance between them, and planted a soft kiss on his lips that aroused the embers that were still burning. Regardless of that, she pulled away then and smiled weakly at him.

"Goodnight Tyler," she whispered before she turned and went to bed.

* * *

><p>"This isn't going to work," Damon reasserted as they stood outside the building the gateway was housed in. Sage had spent a good amount of time explaining to them what they would find when they went inside, and how they had to stay completely on plan to be able to pull this off. If everything was perfect, he still didn't think they would be able to get back to Elena's world.<p>

"I said this would be simple." Sage smiled a grin that could have stolen hundreds of young girls' hearts. "You just need to have faith in me."

Damon rolled his eyes before looking at Elena. She looked strong and determined, but nervous too. Early that morning, Sage had brought her a dress that he stated was normal slave apparel. Currently, Damon doubted that. Elena looked perfect in the short black dress that hung tight to her chest and stomach before flaring out. The dress stopped before it even reached her knees, and it was hard for Damon to pay attention to anything else. Yet, he also knew that there were two different stakes that were hidden underneath the material of her dress. Right now, he just hoped that she was ready to use them.

Knowing there was no time like the present, Damon walked out of their hiding place and strolled into the building. None to his surprise, the place was packed with vampires.

"Do you have a pass?" the first vampire asked. His complexion was dark, and he weighed close to 300 pounds.

"No," Sage grinned. He seemed to have a smile on his face no matter what the circumstances were. "But we need to get through."

"I cannot just let you pass," the vampire replied. "There must be something given in return." He walked over to Elena, and let a finger trail down her cheek. "She is such a beautiful specimen. I would take her, and you may pass."

Damon's blue eyes reflected his dangerousness. "Do _not_ touch her."

"Or what?"

Damon produced a stake from underneath his own cloak and stabbed the vampire without second thought. His body crumbled into ash and fell to the floor. Damon's blue eyes then looked out at the other vampires in the area. Despite the fact they were outnumbered, he was still grinning.

"Who's next?" he taunted.

Three vampires rushed him, but Damon had a lot of practice in combat. He moved with such precision that his motions appeared choreographed. After jumping over the first vampire, he staked her.

Then, he twirled and staked the next vampire before he even knew the girl vampire was dead.

The last vampire used that moment of distraction to tackle Damon. Damon fell to the ground with the vampire, only to stake him in the process. Damon was back on his feet within seconds, grinning at the multitude to come.

"What happened to our plan?" Sage questioned as he backed up against Damon to fight the vampires who came at them from all angles. Although Sage had killed countless vampires already, his appearance was still perfection.

"It would have never worked anyway," Damon retorted. He stabbed another vampire and then brushed the ash off his arms. "And admit it, you enjoy this much more."

"True enough."

As Damon continued his dance of dodging, stabbing, and slicing, he stole a glance at Elena. She had managed to stab a vampire of her own, and gray dust littered her black dress. None of the other vampires really seemed interested in her though. Instead, they were focused on the two vampires who had dared threaten them.

Damon smiled again before he stabbed the next opponent.

* * *

><p>Seeing that she was free, Elena took off at a sprint toward the doorway at the far end of the white and gray room. Her black heels clanked and echoed across the expansive space. She knew that at any second a vampire could catch up with her and destroy her before she could even yell for help. That urgency pulled her forward toward the one thing that could take her back to reality.<p>

Her fingers grasped around the handle of the normal-looking door. Then, she felt hands grapping her shoulders and throwing her back across the room. She slid across the cement of the floor, scrapping her knees, arms, and elbows in the process. As the vampire straddled her to give her a killing blow, Elena closed her brown eyes and awaited death.

But death never came. A feeling of gratitude washed over her being as she felt dust float onto her body. She opened her eyes to see Damon standing above her. He offered her a rogue smile as he stretched out his hand. She accepted it gladly.

The fight seemed to be almost finished now. Ash drifted through the area as Sage continued to kill the vampires around him. He never paused in his motions, but continued to stab all who came near him in one fluid movement. It was as graceful as Damon had been, but with more power added in the actions.

Elena broke from her thoughts though as Damon pulled her back toward the door. Every part of her body ached, but the time for healing would be later. Now, she just had to survive.

As Damon opened the door, Elena's mouth grew wide with shock. She had never expected this.

She had expected to see glimpses of the real world beyond, or some strange design that looked like a portal. Instead, she saw a small room beyond. In the center of this room stood a majestic fountain that was shaped in the form of a female Elena didn't recognize. Water streamed from her eyes, and fell down to the floor. This entire room was made up of a shallow pool where the water circulated back into the female figure.

"You must tell it where you wish to go," Sage's voice whispered in her ear. "Only then can you leave this place."

"Are you coming back with us?" she asked to Sage.

He seemed to ponder the answer. Something in his eyes changed, however, and he shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid I cannot take this trip at this time. I have been summoned by the powers here."

"Will we see you again?"

"Maybe." There was a wicked gleam in his green eyes. "I hope to see you again."

Elena nodded as she entwined her fingers with Damon's. She turned back and faced the pool. "Please take us to The Hole hotel outside of Atlanta, Georgia."

As the words escaped her lips, she could no longer see her own reflection in the water. Instead, she could see parking lots and cheap hotel rooms. A smile crossed her lips as she stepped into that room.

Although she had expected to sink into the water, she didn't. Both she and Damon walked across the surface until they both stood halfway between the door and the fountain.

"I wish you luck," Sage's voice called before he shut the door to the room.

It was then that Elena felt it. There was a certain magnetism to the world she saw reflected in the water. She felt drawn to it in a way she couldn't explain. She was just about to open her mouth to ask Damon what they needed to do when the pull intensified, and she crashed into the water.

Then, she was falling. Instead of falling through air, it felt more like they were crashing through earth to get to their new location. A gasp escaped her lips as her fingers were pulled apart from Damon's and she collided into blacktop.

"That was…" Elena began, but no words described what they just went through.

"Idiotic?" Damon shrugged as he stood up. He offered Elena his hand, and when she accepted it, she felt electricity spread through her veins.

"Oh Elena!" a voice called from nearby, and then Elena was consumed by Caroline's body. Her grasp was torn from Damon's, but her eyes didn't leave him.

"What are you doing here?" Elena questioned as the other girl pulled away. "I told you not to come."

"We had to," Caroline shrugged. "We couldn't let you fight this battle on your own."

"_We_?"

"I'm here too," Tyler spoke up as he moved into view.

Letting out a deep breath, Elena nodded in acknowledgement. "Then let's get inside. We have a lot to talk about."

* * *

><p>an: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, please review!


	9. Chapter 9 Breaking All Ties

a/n: Thanks to all who reviewed my last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one as well.

* * *

><p>Chapter 9 Breaking All Ties<p>

_It might be impractical to seek out a new romance,_  
><em> We won't know the actual if we never take the chance...<em>  
>-Will Do by TV on the Radio<p>

"This is messed up," Tyler responded after Elena and Damon had finished recounting what had occurred in the Dark Dimension.

"But you think you know where the sphere is?" Caroline raised a perfect eyebrow.

"Yes," Elena nodded hesitantly. "_You must find an honest one, one of only forty-three, if you wish to seek this orb of the kitsune. His birthplace is where this item is laid, in the depths of the sinking spring. Go here and the ultimate treasure will then be thine, for the discoverer will then have what's mine_," she repeated. "My first thought was presidents. There have been forty-three presidents so far."

"There have been forty-four," Caroline corrected quickly. "Obama is the forty-fourth president."

Elena was already shaking her head. "Grover Cleveland was both the twenty-second and twenty-fourth president. Although Obama may be called the forty-fourth president, he's the forty-third original president."

"And an honest one would be Honest Abe," Caroline spoke up.

Damon shrugged. "Who knew school was actually important."

"So where do we go now?" Tyler questioned.

"It says we have to go to his birthplace," Elena continued. Her chocolate orbs spanned across the other three people in the room. "He was born in Kentucky, although I don't know the exact location."

Caroline already had her phone out. She quickly connected to Safari and typed in her search.

"He was born in Hogenville, Kentucky," Caroline spoke as she looked up from her phone. "And there's a national park there. And a water supply known as Sinking Spring."

Relief engulfed Elena as she smiled at her friend. "This is actually possible."

"But you forgot one thing," Damon said from nearby. She turned to see his blue eyes staring intently into hers. There was no gentleness in his eyes now, or any other indication of the Damon he allowed her to see. Now, he was back to the stone coldness that he was known for. Part of Elena wanted to run to him then and punch him until he returned to the Damon she truly knew. But doing that would solve nothing.

"What did I forget?" she questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"We have to wait for Katherine to get here. We're working with her, remember?"

"I see no reason to wait for her," Caroline input.

"You defy her, and she'll kill anyone you love without second thought," Damon made clear. Despite his fierce tone, his mannerisms reflected disinterest. "But it's your decision."

"She did help us get this far," Elena said.

"I still don't trust her," Caroline shrugged.

"None of us do," Damon laughed. And it was a real laugh.

"Then let's leave her a note," Tyler said as he stood up. "Tell her we know where the orb is, and give her a place to meet up with us at. It seems like a fair compromise."

Personally, Elena loved any plan that allowed them to set off now. "How long will it take us to get there?"

"Around six hours," Caroline replied. Her blue orbs looked to Elena and reflected her tiredness. "We'll get there before noon."

Elena loved the sound of that. Her brown eyes searched Damon, and she waited until his blue eyes made contact with her before she spoke. "Do you think you could get us a ride?"

Smirking, Damon nodded. "I'd love to."

* * *

><p>The sun hung on the horizon to signify the beginning of a new day. Alaric stood in the Gilbert kitchen and watched the sunrise in silence. It was peaceful here now, with all the memories of what Klaus had done being only a distant reminder of the pain they had faced. He missed Jenna more than he could have ever imagined, but hopefully, he would have her back soon.<p>

A yawn echoed from the other side of the room, and Alaric turned to see Jeremy. His brown eyes were barely open as he found a glass and poured him some orange juice.

"I don't remember ever seeing you up this early," Alaric remarked.

"I see her when I sleep," Jeremy shrugged. Without asking, Alaric knew he was speaking of Jenna. "It's easier to just stay awake."

"Fair enough." Pulling himself from his position, he went over to the table and sat down in one of the chairs. As Jeremy mimicked his movements, Bonnie strolled into the kitchen too. She had spent the night in Elena's room to prevent herself from driving home. It had also allowed her to keep an eye on Jeremy and make sure he recovered from the spell.

"Good morning," Bonnie beamed as she poured herself some orange juice too. After scouring through the kitchen, she came to the table with a plate and bagel. Her green eyes watched Jeremy warily as she ate her food.

"So I was thinking," Alaric began slowly. "If we want to keep Jeremy safe, I think we need to know exactly what is needed to perform this spell."

Bonnie brushed a few crumbs from her fingers before she went to the kitchen island and grabbed one of the many books in the room.

"I actually found the spell last night," she replied as she turned to a bookmarked page. "It wasn't what I expected it to be."

"So what is needed?" Alaric questioned. He mocked curiosity as he glanced to the page.

"The person wanting to bring someone back would have to create an invisible square where the vertices are identified by two objects from the person who is going to be brought back, and two items from Jeremy's life. Once Jeremy enters the square, he'll be trapped there."

"That's a little creepy," Alaric joked.

"Creepy is an understatement," Bonnie replied after she swallowed the bite of bagel she had just taken. "That person will then have to come forth with someone to give as a sacrifice. The person must be alive when he/she enters the square with Jeremy, but the spell will kill that person."

"I'm assuming the spell must be completed by a witch?"

"Not necessarily," Bonnie frowned. "This isn't a normal spell. It's just to be used to balance nature. Therefore, anyone who knows how to do this can say the spell and bring someone back."

"Is there anything else?"

"It has to be performed at midnight," Bonnie replied. "But that's about it."

"So there isn't much we can do to protect him," Alaric spoke slowly. He acted like he was contemplating what their next course of action should be. He arched his head to the side as his eyes lit up with inspiration. "I think we should go to my house. It's one of the easiest ways to keep him safe since there haven't been any vampires who have been invited in there. And I have plenty of weapons to fight anyone else who comes at us."

Slowly, Bonnie nodded in acceptance. "That sounds like a plan to me."

Jeremy cleared his throat loudly. "It should be my choice. You two realize this, correct?"

"It will keep you safe," Alaric spoke up. Pain arched through his body as he felt the lie in what he had just said. With all the dark thoughts roaming through his mind, Jeremy would only be safe if he was far away from Alaric.

"I'll go," Jeremy replied. He had a frown on his face though. "Just let me grab some of my stuff first."

As he disappeared, Bonnie turned to face Alaric. "We have to keep him safe," she whispered. "I can't lose him again."

And with those words hanging in the air, Alaric walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>Elena glanced out the window and watched the world zip past her. They had been driving for a few hours now, and both Caroline and Tyler were asleep in the backseat of the Trailblazer Damon had picked up. It wasn't lost on Elena that Caroline and Tyler's hands touched while they rested. Elena was eager for the chance to ask Caroline what was going on between the two of them.<p>

She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to notice they were slowing down. Eyeing Damon quizzically, Elena moved her hands to her seatbelt.

"What are we doing?"

Instead of speaking, he pointed out the front windshield. Elena followed his gaze and noticed that they were stopping at a Marathon gas station.

He pulled beside the pump, and Elena was suddenly surprised that something so normal could look so bizarre.

"Come on," Damon smiled as he shut the door and walked toward the gas station.

Following him, Elena tried to suppress a smile. It still found its way onto the corners of her lips, however, and she caught Damon looking at her.

"Get whatever you want," Damon spoke as they wound their way through different aisles full of unhealthy snacks. "We're not going to stop for a while, and I know you have to be starving."

Elena knew he was right. She hadn't eaten much of anything since Stefan had disappeared.

She almost laughed at that thought. No, her dietary problems had first appeared when Jenna had died, and when she had thought she was going to lose Damon too.

But here with him now, it felt like anything was possible. It felt like she could take on anything as long as he was by her side. It was a feeling she didn't want to lose.

"What kind of chips do you want?" he smiled as he picked up three different kinds. Then, he shrugged. "We'll just get all of them."

Elena laughed. It was the first time she had truly laughed in days, and it felt amazing.

"Damon." Elena shook her head. "You don't have to buy me anything."

Damon stared at her like she was crazy. "Who said I was _buying_ anything?"

Elena smiled as she looked deep into his blue eyes. This was the Damon she cared about so deeply, the one he would only be with her. Part of her wanted to be with that Damon for forever. But another part knew how dangerous those thoughts were.

As if sensing her thoughts, Damon leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips. It wasn't a demanding kiss, but more of one to show her that he was there. For the first time since she had kissed him on his deathbed, she realized that whatever she had awakened couldn't be contained any longer. Whatever consequences came, they'd face them together.

Not wanting to leave, Elena reached up and gave him a kiss of her own. Then, she turned and looked at the rows of soda in the coolers in the store. Knowing that she needed to stay hydrated, she grabbed multiple bottles of water before taking a Dr. Pepper from the shelf too.

Damon raised an eyebrow, but didn't remark on her beverage choices. Instead, he motioned for her to go up the next aisle of snacks.

When they finally reached the counter, they had close to thirty dollars' worth of snacks and drinks. Damon motioned toward their silver Trailblazer outside. "We need fifty dollars in gas for that vehicle too."

The man rang up the order, and then Damon compelled him to forget about them being there. Elena felt guilty, and threw the little money she had on the counter before following Damon outside.

"I saw that," he remarked, although he never turned around to face her. As Elena caught up to him, she noticed that he was grinning.

In that moment, it was easy for Elena to forget the danger they were truly in. It was easy for her to not think about Stefan, or the fact that she had kissed his brother multiple times now. It was easy to pretend like they were just on a road trip where their lives didn't depend on them finding a mythical sphere.

When Damon climbed back into the driver's seat, he smiled warmly at her. Elena had picked up a bag of Doritos, and munched on them as he started the vehicle again. As his fingers entwined with hers, she felt the familiar warmth he gave her spread through her veins. It was at that time that Elena realized Caroline had opened her eyes, and was starting at them in shock.

Yanking her hand away from Damon, Elena instead focused on her chips. The moment she had done that though, she regretted it. The warmth had disappeared from Damon's eyes, and they stared straight at the road in front of them.

Knowing she couldn't fix things now, Elena sunk in her seat, and gazed outside too.

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><p>an: Please review. =)


	10. Chapter 10 Klaus' Return

a/n: Thanks to all who took the time to review the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one as well! I have the storyline finalized, and I'm quite excited about how it's going to play out.

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><p>Chapter 10 Klaus' Return<p>

_Psycho, you killer, you cancer, my friend._  
><em>Why don't you give me an answer for when,<em>  
><em>When you'll let it go...<em>  
>-Shape Shifter by the Local Natives<p>

It was around noon when the group assembled at the entrance of the national park of Abraham Lincoln's birthplace. They had talked to Katherine earlier and told her to meet them there. Part of Elena hoped she showed up. They needed her knowledge of Klaus and all the other events that had transpired recently. The other part of Elena, however, didn't care if they ever saw the vampire again.

"This place is…" Caroline trailed off as she eyed the people around her.

"Strange," Tyler finished for her.

Personally, Elena thought it was cute. It was bathed in southern charm, and the workers appeared very friendly.

As they made their way into the park, they were given brochures that outlined the different parts of the park. The majority of the area consisted of beautiful fields where tall grass grew. When the wind blew, the grass swayed gently back and forth.

There were trails that led to different parts of the park too. They were currently near the memorial center, and Elena looked up to it in wonder.

An American flag stood on a pole outside, and wafted back and forth in the slight breeze. Behind the flagpole were steps that led up to a massive marble monument. Elena longed to go inside just to see what was hidden in the building.

"The Sinking Spring is this way," Caroline spoke up as she pointed to their left. From where they stood, Elena could see the cobbled pathway that led to something she couldn't quite see. People were huddled in the area, and it looked very confining.

"We can't all go in there," Tyler spoke up. "It would draw too much attention to us."

"I hate to break it to you," Damon remarked, "But it's not like we can go in there and tell all the people we're looking for a magical object. _Anything_ is going to draw too much attention to us. We'll have to wait until the crowd dies down."

Elena nodded. "Let's just stay in this area and walk around. I could use some exercise anyway."

Caroline glanced at Tyler before turning her gaze back to Elena. "I think Tyler and I might check out the nature trails. Is that okay?"

"Of course," Elena responded. Although she didn't want the group to split up on their own, she saw no reason they couldn't divide into groups. "We'll call you if the area ever calms down."

Smiling, Caroline took Tyler's hand into her own and skipped toward the forested area.

"Where do you want to go?" Damon whispered into her ear.

His warm breath sent shivers down her spine that caused her pulse to race. "I'd like to see what's in that building," she said in raspy tones.

He took her hand in his own, as if they were lovers who had known each other for centuries. They smiled at the people they passed, and somehow, Elena thought nothing could make that moment more perfect.

Inside the memorial building stood a small log cabin that was roped off. People moved throughout the room and examined the building from different angles. A laugh escaped Elena's lips despite herself, and Damon looked to her in question.

A tourist came up to them before she had the chance to speak and smiled awkwardly at them. "Would you care to take a picture of me and my wife?"

"Um… Sure," Damon responded. He grimaced sarcastically at Elena and then followed the man to the location he wanted to take the picture at.

"It's weird, isn't it?" a voice spoke into Elena's ear. Without turning, Elena knew exactly who was there.

"What is weird, Katherine?" she huffed.

"How history repeats itself," she mused. Elena turned and watched the other girl examine her fingernails.

"History isn't repeating itself," Elena made clear. "I would _never_ be like you."

"You're right," Katherine nodded. "Things aren't exactly the same…"

Elena glanced at Damon, and saw that he noticed Katherine was there. As hard as he was trying to get the man to let him go, he kept insisting that he take more pictures.

"I compelled him," Katherine shrugged. "I thought we needed some time to talk on our own." Her eyes finally looked at Elena. "I was with Damon first. You know that, correct?"

"Yes."

"And then I went to Stefan. And he is who I fell in love with."

"So?"

"You started off with Stefan, yet you're now with Damon."

"I'm with…" but Elena couldn't even finish the sentence.

"I understand you more than anyone ever will," she whispered into Elena's ear. They were so close that their shoulders touched. "And isn't it funny, that both Salvatore men pretend to be things they aren't?"

Elena raised an eyebrow as she studied the other girl. "What do you mean?"

"You've seen the real Damon," Katherine shrugged. "You know he's protective, impulsive, comical, and kind in his own way. Yet, he pretends to be a cruel being to hide those character traits from everyone else." She paused for a moment to let the words sink in. "And then there's Stefan. He's kind, and loving, and cares for everyone. Yet, we all know what happens when his restraints are released. He's vicious, and cruel, and bloodthirsty. The men hide behind these facades to mask who they really are. I prefer the passion of Stefan… Which one do _you_ prefer Elena?"

"Thank you for letting me steal your boyfriend," the tourist responded as he came back with Damon. A smile was plastered on his face.

Katherine gave Elena an all-knowing smile before the man walked off.

"You do know how to make entrances," Damon spoke wearily. "Was that really necessary?"

Katherine pouted. "I needed to talk to Elena alone."

Damon arched an eyebrow, and gave Elena a look that let her know the subject would be brought up at a later date.

"So are we going to find the sphere, or are we just going to stand here?" Katherine finally questioned.

* * *

><p>"Alaric," Liz called as she banged on the door to his house. "Let me in."<p>

She pounded a few more times before a confused Alaric appeared at the door.

"Is there something I can help you with, Sheriff?"

"I'm looking for Jeremy," she sighed. "Child Services are searching for both Jeremy and Elena. Caroline filled me in on where Elena is, but someone has to show up at this hearing, or we're all going to be in trouble."

"You shot him," Alaric reminded her. "Find some way that I can be their foster parent, at least until Elena turns eighteen."

"I'll see what I can do," Liz nodded.

"Alaric, who are you-" Jeremy cut off as he saw the sheriff standing at the door. "Oh. It's you."

"I'm sorry Jeremy," she spoke, and tried to put all of her sincerity into her words. "I was trying to stop Damon from hurting someone."

"Yet, _you_ ended up being the person who hurt someone," Jeremy retorted. "Was there something you needed from me?"

"We have to figure out your living arrangements at some point."

Jeremy shrugged. "I'm staying here with Alaric, whether or not the law allows me too. If I were you, I'd try to find some way to make sure I stay here." A grin crossed his face. "And I really don't feel up to coming in, with the dying bit and all. Maybe you should just tell them you shot me and I died?"

Before she could respond, the door was slammed in her face. She thought about knocking again, but knew that no one would answer. Whatever she was going to do, she had to do on her own.

She had just reached her police car when she felt someone's eyes upon her. She turned around quickly and scanned the area, but saw no one there.

Shaking her head, she opened her door and climbed inside. A gasp escaped her lips when she looked over and saw Stefan sitting there.

"You scared me." Liz exhaled deeply before she started the vehicle. The cool air from her car was a nice relief. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes."

His voice sent shivers down her spine. She tried to stay strong, though her nerves threatened to overtake her.

"What exactly is it that you need me to do?"

Although his eyes didn't meet hers, she knew he was paying attention to every move she made.

"Drive toward the old high school," he replied almost mechanically. "There's something I need to show you there."

Liz couldn't find her voice, so she simply put the car into reverse and backed out onto the street. When she placed the car in drive, she noticed that Alaric was watching them from one of the windows in his house.

"How is Damon?" she finally asked to break the silence.

"He's alive," Stefan shrugged. "Although what he is or isn't is no concern of mine."

Suppressing a shudder, she kept her eyes focused on the road. She had never seen Stefan this cold before, especially toward his brother. Whatever was going on, she didn't like it.

She didn't speak another word until she was parked in the old high school parking lot. This school had been boarded up to protect the citizens from harming themselves in the old building years ago. There had really been no need to keep it standing, but the citizens had begged to keep their history alive. So they had allowed it to remain.

Now, however, as she left her car, she wished they would have burned it to the ground.

Stefan didn't speak to her, but instead just walked toward one of the doors to the school. Liz's pulse raced as she neared the entrance. She had been doing her job long enough to know when something was wrong. And right now, everything inside of her screamed that she shouldn't go into the building.

Stefan reached out and opened the chained door with what appeared to be little effort. Liz took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Her fingers teased the edge of her gun as she moved into the darkness beyond. Logic screamed at her to leave, and she knew that whatever was in here probably couldn't be hurt by her regular bullets. She had never thought to bring weapons to fight vampires with her. After all, the only task she had had this morning was to bring Jeremy in.

When the door closed behind her, she was bathed in complete darkness. All of the windows and doors had been boarded up, and that currently prevented any sunlight from seeping through. As if sensing her hesitancy, Stefan thrust an object into her hands. Part of her soul rejoiced when she realized it was a flashlight.

She turned it on quickly, and let the light wash over the area. It was a relief to be able to see, even if her vision was now narrowed to a small area. She allowed the beam of light to move over the entire room, and realized they were standing in what would have been the entrance to the school.

"Come on," Stefan commanded as he moved down a nearby hallway. He didn't stop to make sure she followed, and only continued to walk along his path.

Liz followed obediently since she knew she couldn't outrun him. Her light swept over the dusty floors and revealed what remained of the old school. They passed multiple classrooms that were void of any furniture, and heavy on the dust and dirt.

When he turned into the gymnasium, Goosebumps raced across her skin. She continued to follow, however, even as her heart thundered in her chest. She had just reached the door when her flashlight flickered, and then went out.

She wanted to curse, but forced herself to remain quiet. She moved into the room based solely on memory while trying to get her flashlight to come back on.

This room was colder than the others had been. Even her long sleeve sheriff uniform wasn't enough to shield her from the icy temperatures. She banged her flashlight against her leg then, and was relieved when light once again filled the area.

Her relief was short lived. As she narrowed the light on the nearest object, she realized in horror that it was a person lying on a morgue slab. The person's skin was discolored and pale. She appeared to have been dead for quite some time now.

Not even breathing, she let her light wash over the rest of the room. She counted thirty dead humans before she had to stop and throw up on the floor.

Her breathing came in short rasps then and sweat poured from her face. A voice spoke through the darkness, and she had to fight getting sick again.

"I had hoped you would be stronger than this," the voice mused. It was a voice she didn't recognize so she turned her light in the direction of the sound. The man standing there looked beyond powerful, and blood smeared the front of his white jacket. An involuntary sob escaped her lips as she saw Stefan standing beside this man.

"What do you want from me?"

"I have a task I need you to complete," he grinned and she shuddered.

Before she could speak, Stefan was at her side. He looked down at her with feral eyes while keeping a smile on his lips.

He used fangs to rip open his wrist. As the blood fell from his skin, he forced the blood into her mouth. She tried to fight against him, but he was far too strong for her. When he thought she had enough blood, he pulled his wrist away, and rubbed her hair soothingly.

"You won't be like the others," he almost hummed. "We have far greater plans for you."

His hands rested on her neck then, and tears fell down her face. She didn't even have time to scream before he applied pressure and broke her neck.

* * *

><p>an: I'd love to hear your thoughts on what's going on. Please review!


	11. Chapter 11 Midnight

a/n: Thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter. And please continue to review, especially if you've stopped. It helps inspire writers to continue writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

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><p>Chapter 11 Midnight<p>

_And it starts, sometime around midnight.__  
><em>_Or at least that's when you lose yourself__  
><em>_for a minute or two…_  
>-Sometime Around Midnight by The Airborne Toxic Event<p>

"I can't see anything from here," Elena spoke as she leaned over the railing and peered into the spring below. It had been nightfall before the crowd finally thinned out enough to let them search for the orb. Although the park was closed, they had managed to hide well enough that they could now search the area without being interrupted.

"I'm sure it's hidden down in the spring," Damon remarked. A frown was plastered across his face. "I think Misao needs to find something better to do with her time."

Elena took the flashlight she held and spanned the light over the area. Still, she saw nothing.

"Someone's going to have to go down there," Katherine inputted. "Standing around and wishing for it to jump out at us will get us nowhere."

"I'll go down there," Elena offered as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. It was then that she realized she had a missed call from Bonnie. Although she wanted to call her back, she knew they didn't have the time. She just hoped that nothing was wrong.

When she tried to hand her phone to Caroline, her friend shook her head.

"You're the most fragile person here," Caroline replied. "Let one of us do it."

"If someone shows up, I'll be no good in a fight." Elena continued to take everything out of her pockets that she didn't want to lose. "And it's Stefan we're trying to help anyway. I owe him this."

She couldn't hide from Damon's blue eyes as they looked at her intensely. She knew how badly he wanted to stop her from doing this, and also knew that he'd let her try.

"I'll stay here with Dog Boy and help Elena," Damon stated. His tone showed that there was no room for arguing. "Caroline can go with Katherine and watch from the beginning of the pathway down here. That way if someone attacks, we'll have time to get Elena out first."

"Why do I have to go with Katherine?" Caroline questioned.

"She seems to actually _like_ you," Damon shrugged. He reached down into the backpack full of supplies that Tyler and Caroline had bought earlier that day. After taking out a long rope, he secured it to Elena's waist and legs. Her breathing quickened as his skin brushed against hers, but she pushed away the feeling. Right now, the only thing she needed to think about was finding the orb.

"Tie that around your waist," Damon instructed as he tossed Tyler the other end of the rope. He dug around in the backpack again and pulled out an extra flashlight. Instead of giving it away, he held it securely in his own hand.

Knowing what she had to do, Elena climbed over the railing that was meant to keep visitors away from the spring. Water cascaded gently over the rocks she was standing on before disappearing into a large opening in the rock. She held her breath as she shined the light over the area.

She took one last glance back at Damon. He stood at the edge of the spring holding her rope with one hand and a flashlight in the other. Tyler stood far back on the pathway that led down to the spring and caused the rope to be taut.

Letting out a deep breath, she lowered herself slowly down into the opening. Water glistened all around her and caused the area to be slick. About ten feet down from the top stood a small rock ledge. She carefully maneuvered over to it and allowed her feet to rest on its surface.

Still holding onto her rope, she moved her flashlight around the area. Her light caught something far down in the hole and reflected the light back to her. Elena held her breath as she pulled on the rope for Tyler to give her some slack.

There was another rock ledge a few more feet down so she lowered herself onto its surface. Her shoes slipped on the slick surface, and she fell down a few more feet. Thankful that she only fell that much, she pulled on her rope again and was lowered farther into the spring.

She waved her flashlight through the area again, and saw the object her light had been reflecting off of. Letting out a small exclamation, she tugged on her rope again. When she didn't move, she looked up to the surface of the hole.

"That's all the rope we have Elena," Damon called. "We can't give you anymore slack."

Elena wanted to scream. She was already about twenty feet down in the hole, but it hadn't been enough to let her get to the object. There was another rock ledge about two feet below her, but the protrusion was small, and she didn't know if she could make it on her own.

Fighting back her anxiety, Elena untied the rope from her body and let her feet rest on the shelf. Her balance wavered slightly, but her hands grasped onto the rope, and she managed to balance herself on the outcrop.

"Elena," Damon yelled from the top. "I know what you're doing. Don't. There's no reason to be stupid."

Ignoring him, Elena let go of the rope, and hunched down on the ridge. About five feet below her sat the object that had reflected her light. Now, she could see the round shape of it, and the clear glass that it was made of. Inside of the glass was a red powder that looked almost like sand. Elena lowered herself down on the next ledge and smiled as her hands grasped onto the sphere.

"I have it!" she called back up to him.

She didn't receive a reply from Damon. Instead, she saw her rope crash down into the darkness below her. Stifling a scream, she moved back farther onto the ledge. Now, she had no way out.

* * *

><p>Bonnie looked up at Jeremy and smiled weakly at him. Currently, he stood inside a triangle similar to the one he had been in the previous night. The only difference now was that they were inside Alaric's home instead of outside.<p>

"If you get too tired, tell me and we'll stop," Bonnie instructed.

"I know," Jeremy sighed. Although she had told him this countless times, she still worried about him. She had also performed a spell moments earlier that had tied together their energies. At least this time he wouldn't be doing this on his own.

She glanced back down at her cell phone one last time. Elena had still not called her back, and she was starting to worry about her friend. It had seemed like a cowardly move earlier to simply let the sheriff disappear with Stefan. Yet, as of now, there was no way for them to face Klaus. And since they couldn't kill Stefan, confronting them had seemed pointless. It was like they were playing poker with imaginary cards. There was no way for them to even compete.

"Are we ready?" Alaric asked as he entered the living room. A pang of sadness tore through Bonnie's heart as she realized that he was carrying her watch and the jacket she had worn the night she died.

"Material possessions don't mean much to the dead," Bonnie said softly.

"I just want her to know how hard this is," he replied. His blue eyes looked like pools of tears. "I miss her Bonnie."

"I know." She squeezed his hand gently before turning around and facing Jeremy. "_Audi et alteram partem_."

The flames in the candles rose, and Bonnie's breath hitched. Once again, she could feel the ghosts lurking around.

"How many of you are there?" Bonnie asked across the room.

_I've seen many_, Jenna's voice responded. _Hundreds, maybe. If not thousands._

"Is there anyone else we know?" Alaric questioned. Bonnie could tell how rough his voice sounded now.

_Anna, Vicki, Mason, and Jules_ _are the only ones I recognize. Some of these spirits have been waiting around for over a hundred years. They know he has to be stopped. And we're working on a way to do that._

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked quickly.

_You can channel our power, we're sure of this_, Jenna spoke. _But there's more that we can do. And we know so much more. _

"Like?"

_Klaus cannot be killed. It is impossible to destroy him now._

Bonnie tried not to cry. "So what do we do?"

_He can be taken to another dimension. One where he cannot escape, and one where he cannot harm anyone. _

"I hope to see you again shortly," Alaric whispered. Bonnie looked over to him then, and smiled sadly at him. He looked like he was in so much pain.

As Bonnie's strength wavered, she fought to stay in control. But blood started pouring down her nose, and she knew it was time to stop.

"_Consummatum est_," Bonnie spoke. She felt the connection to Jenna vanish along with her remaining strength. Before she could stop herself, she crashed to the floor. Then everything fell into darkness.

* * *

><p>Alaric wiped the tears from his eyes as he drug Bonnie's unconscious body to the couch. When she had fainted, so had Jeremy, and he currently lay in a pile on the floor. Alaric held onto Jenna's possessions for dear life, but couldn't move to put them in place. As much as he wanted to bring Jenna back, he knew he simply couldn't make that sacrifice.<p>

If Jenna came back, he wanted her to be with him. And if he used Jeremy in any vile way, and if he killed someone to bring her back, she'd never say another word to him. He'd spend the rest of his life and death knowing he could never be with her again.

His doorbell rang then, though, and saved him from his dark thoughts. We walked across the room carefully and opened the door.

"I'm sorry to bother you this late," Liz said. Her eyebrows were scrunched together in worry. "Something's happened. Can I come in?"

Alaric glanced back to where Bonnie and Jeremy were both passed out. Although he had no desire to explain what had happened to the sheriff, he also knew he couldn't keep her out.

"Of course," he replied as he motioned her inside. Her eyes fell on Jeremy's form, and a frown crossed her face.

"What happened here?" she questioned as she moved about the room. She checked Jeremy's pulse before taking his jacket from nearby and searching the pockets. When she seemed satisfied that nothing was in there, she threw his jacket into the corner of the room.

"I know Caroline told you some things about what's really going on in Mystic Falls," Alaric said as he ruffled his hair. "And I'm not really sure it's up to me to tell anything that is going on now. They're not really my secrets."

"But they're safe?" she questioned.

"Absolutely."

He watched her walk around the rest of the room. She picked up a shirt of Jeremy's before throwing it into the corner. "It wouldn't hurt to clean up a little," she laughed.

"I guess not," he replied.

When she looked at Jeremy again, her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Alaric. I think you need to make sure he's okay. Something doesn't look right about him."

Before she even finished, Alaric was kneeling at Jeremy's side and checking his vitals. Everything felt okay, and he saw Jeremy move. Apparently the sheriff had just been imagining things.

But then he stood up and knew that it was all a trap.

The sheriff had placed bits and pieces of assorted fabrics in the remaining two corners of the room. She had moved Bonnie's body outside of the imaginary square, and stood outside of the room herself.

"I didn't realize you worked for Klaus," Alaric stated boldly. His blue eyes blazed with anger.

"I work for whoever I want to," she simply shrugged as she pulled out a page from her pocket.

"What's going on?" Jeremy asked in a dazed tone. His eyes went from Alaric to Liz. "I don't get it."

"She's going to bring back the Dark," Alaric said as he crossed his arms.

_That person will then have to come forth with someone to give as a sacrifice. The person must be alive when he/she enters the square with Jeremy, but the spell will kill that person…_

Bonnie's words echoed in Alaric's mind. Personally, he didn't want to die now. He had too many people left to fight.

"_Refero Atrum. Pondera vis. Refero Atrum._" Liz chanted. Alaric stormed toward the edge of the square, but hit an invisible wall and crashed back to the ground.

It was then that he realized his death wasn't going to be a sudden one. He felt his body slowly lose the energy he needed to survive. Although he tried to push himself off the floor, he was too weak to do so.

Jeremy's face filled his vision, and he felt the teenager grab his hand.

"I don't like you like that," Alaric joked through the pain.

"Shut up," Jeremy responded in a teasing tone. Alaric's eyes closed then, and he felt someone cold touch his hand. He wanted to recoil from it, but didn't have the strength to do so.

"We'll all see you soon," Jeremy said softly in his ear. "And we'll get her back for this."

Then, there was only darkness.

* * *

><p>an: As always, please review. =)


	12. Chapter 12 Resurrections

a/n: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. Some people were very confused about the sheriff. Hopefully this chapter will help understand what happened a little more. I hope you enjoy!  
>Also, if you want to follow me on twitter, my username is rachel_leann. There should be two underscores between my first and middle names. Fanfiction is odd at times and won't let me put two there.<p>

* * *

><p>Chapter 12 Resurrections<p>

_Without a soul,_  
><em>My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold,<em>  
><em>Until you find it there and lead it back <em>  
><em>Home.<em>  
>-Wake Me Up Inside by Evanescence<p>

Damon had to stop himself from looking toward the spring when two vampires strolled into their territory. It had torn him apart to drop the rope, but he knew Elena hadn't been connected to it anyway. And he couldn't take the chance that anyone would hurt her while he fought off these thugs.

Both of the vampires were considerably larger than Damon, and looked very much alike despite the fact that one had on a red t-shirt, and the other a blue one. Damon glanced quickly at Tyler, and knew he was beyond ready to fight.

"We need the sphere," Blue spoke as he bared his fangs. "Give it to us now."

"We don't have it," Damon shrugged nonchalantly. "But you're welcome to come and look for yourself."

It seemed like that was the only invitation Blue needed. He raced toward Damon and tried to tackle him to the ground. Damon was faster though, and pushed Blue down onto the stoned path. He grabbed a nearby tree branch and drove it into Blue's heart without thinking twice about it.

Tyler seemed to be fairing about as well. Red kept moving his face around, trying to bite Tyler. But Tyler held the vampire securely to the ground. Tyler's dark eyes looked around for some form of weapon, but didn't see one nearby.

Damon grabbed another nearby branch and drove it into Red's heart. Tyler nodded a "thank you" before they both got up and prepared to fight whoever came next.

Instead of seeing more enemies race down the stoned stairs, they saw Caroline. A look of terror crossed her face.

"She's gone Damon," she spat. "And there are so many vampires up there."

Nodding, Damon stood his ground and prepared for the war.

* * *

><p>Although Elena couldn't see what was going on above her, she could hear the fight taking place. She shuddered as she forced herself to turn off her flashlight. When she did, she could barely make out the landscape around her. A little moonlight came through into the spring, but other than that, there was nothing else.<p>

When she stood on her tiptoes, she could barely touch the ridge above her. She wasn't sure if she could climb up on her own, but knew that she had to try. If not, she'd be trapped in the area indefinitely.

She was just getting ready to try to climb up when she heard someone laughing above her. Arching her head to the side, Elena glanced up and saw a teenage girl with beautiful black hair.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" the girl questioned.

Elena took a step back on the small ledge she stood on to put more distance between them. "It's none of your business what I'm doing."

The girl sat down on her ledge and let her barefooted feet drape over the edge. Elena noticed that her toenails were painted a vibrant red.

"Considering the fact that you're holding _my_ orb, I think it is very much my business."

Elena nodded slowly as she clutched the orb tightly between her fingers. "Do you know of the man who wants to take this from you?"

"No." Misao shook her head, causing her long black hair to swing back and forth. "The only person I see who wants my orb is you. And you're a _human_ too. So despicable."

"I could care less about your precious sphere," Elena made clear. "But a vampire named Klaus wants your sphere. So we had to find it first."

"And what do _you_ plan on doing with it now?"

"Hiding it in a place he can't get to it."

Misao shrugged. "Since you found my orb, I'm prohibited from taking it back from you by force. But if you harm my sphere, I will not hesitate to kill _everyone_ you love." She seemed bored with the conversation though, and she reached down a hand to Elena. "I'm sure you want out of here too?"

Elena nodded slowly as she touched the other girl's hand. Then, she vanished from the area she stood in. When she reappeared, she stood on grass. All around her were vampires who were fighting against her friends.

"I have so stop them," Elena gasped. But there was really nowhere for her to go. As much as she wanted to hurt the vampires, she had nothing to stop them with.

Misao snapped her fingers then, and caused everyone but Tyler, Damon, and Caroline to burst into flames. Damon had been standing too close to one of the vampires and was forced to take off his shirt to avoid getting harmed.

"Call that a peace offering," Misao spoke as everyone's gaze fell on her. She snapped her fingers again, and a portal appeared in the middle of the field. "That will take you back to your home," she explained. When Elena looked at her skeptically, Misao rolled her eyes. "If I wanted to kill you, I already would have."

"Where exactly will this take us?" Elena questioned.

"Your home," she repeated. "As in the physical building. Just don't let go of that sphere."

"Why are you doing this?" Damon asked. His blue eyes were narrowed, and he seemed anything but convinced of her generosity.

"It annoys me that an Original would dare threaten me," she snapped. "I'm one of the most powerful beings on this planet. Who is he that he believes he can take my power? I've heard the stories of what he's made himself into, and know how much power he now has. But that power makes him arrogant. And that arrogance will get him killed."

"Are you going to fight with us?" Caroline questioned.

"Enough with the questions." Misao waved a dismissive hand. "If you don't go home soon, you won't have a home to go back to."

"Thank you," Elena nodded before she turned and looked at the portal. It looked almost like a mirror, but she could see her living room on the other side. Her grasp on the sphere tightened before she walked through its surface.

It wasn't like the other portal she had gone through. This time, when she walked through the surface, she was automatically in her living room.

Damon, Tyler, and Caroline appeared at her side within seconds.

"That was interesting," Caroline remarked.

Elena agreed completely with that statement. And when she looked down at where the sphere should have been, she saw a small piece of paper and a vial of the powder the sphere had contained.

As Elena unfolded the note, she quickly read what was written on the surface.

_There had to be a price for using my portal… And you willingly paid it with my sphere. Make sure that arrogant Klaus is stopped. I have far better things to do than fight with him. _

* * *

><p>Bonnie's eyes fluttered open before she closed them again. Her head pounded, and she could feel Power flowing throughout the room. It was almost overwhelming.<p>

A frown crossed her face as she pushed herself up onto her elbows. Every part of her body hurt, and it took her a moment to realize that the noise she heard in the background was someone chanting a spell. It took her another few seconds to realize that the person she heard was Liz.

Her breath hitched as she moved into a position where she could see Jeremy and Alaric contained inside a makeshift square. She knew what was happening and knew that she had to stop it.

As she pushed herself to her feet, she was already running for the weapon supply Alaric possessed. Using her magic would have been the simplest thing, but the majority of her power had been used up during their meeting with Jenna. Using any more power would only be reckless.

She looked for a weapon that could be easily used on a human, but didn't see anything. Not wanting to waste time, she grabbed a pointed stake from the wall before dashing back toward the living room.

The spell was almost finished by the time she arrived. Alaric lay in a pile on the floor, and Jeremy held onto Alaric's hands tightly. Bonnie poised herself for the attack just as the room fell silent.

Then, Power pulsed from square and knocked both Bonnie and Liz backwards. Bonnie rolled over the hardwood floors and ended up on top of Liz's body.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you now," Bonnie spat.

"I didn't have a choice," Liz responded as she looked up to Bonnie with tear-filled eyes. There was pain in them too. Someone had compelled her to do this, and she still wasn't free from the spell. Her eyes turned almost lifeless as they looked to Bonnie. A smile crossed Liz's lips that sent shivers racing through her veins. "Klaus sends his love."

Bonnie staked Liz in the heart before she had a chance to say another word. Killing wasn't something Bonnie was used to, but it had to be done. As long as Klaus had a hold of her, he'd kill anyone she cared about.

To her surprise, Bonnie saw Liz's body transform in the way only a vampire could. Her veins protruded from her face, and her skin turned a light gray. Klaus had apparently turned her before she came here.

As Bonnie rolled off Liz's body, she moved toward the magical square. She was allowed to pass through one of its edges. The trapping properties had apparently worn off.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked as she collapsed beside Jeremy. He gazed at her with dark eyes that only reflected pain.

"I'm not physically hurt," Jeremy replied, and Bonnie understood what he wasn't saying. "Who do you think they brought back?"

"I don't know." She shook her head before her eyes fell on Alaric. He looked almost peaceful now, as if he was just sleeping.

Looking back into Jeremy's eyes, she took his hands into her own. Her fingers trailed across skin, but stopped when she didn't feel the one object he always wore.

When Jeremy motioned toward Alaric, Bonnie smiled hopefully. On Alaric's finger was one of the Gilbert rings.

"Do you think he'll…" she trailed off as Alaric twitched slightly on the floor. A gasp escaped his lips as she tackled and hugged him.

"Ow," Alaric said through gritted teeth. As his blue eyes landed on Bonnie, however, he smiled. "I didn't think I would see you again."

"It was Jeremy," Bonnie laughed through her tears. "He gave you one of the rings before you were killed."

Alaric propped himself up and nodded toward Jeremy. "I don't know how to thank you."

"You can thank me tomorrow… And the day after that… And the day after that," Jeremy grinned, and Alaric laughed. Bonnie frowned at both of them before she punched each of them.

"I don't like being made fun of," she declared, although a smile betrayed her tone.

It was then that Bonnie's gaze crossed the room and landed on Liz's body. Jeremy and Alaric followed her line of vision too, and they all stared in silence for a few moments.

"I'm impressed that you killed her without your witchy powers," Alaric finally remarked.

"I honestly thought she was still human," Bonnie shrugged.

"Then that's even more impressive."

"I don't even know what to do with her," Bonnie half-laughed.

"I'll take care of it," Alaric replied as he stood up.

After Bonnie watched him leave, she turned back and faced Jeremy. "Can you see the ghosts anymore?"

Jeremy shook his head, but tried to smile. "Maybe they're just not in this area anymore."

"Jenna would have never left you," Bonnie replied sadly. She forced herself to stand up then and walked over to the nearest corner of the room. She had expected to see an item that belonged to the person who had been brought back. Instead, she saw countless bits of fabric that had been tied together.

"Jeremy," she whispered. When he appeared at her side, she laced her fingers together with his. "I don't think they tried to bring one person back…"

His gaze followed hers, and she knew that he saw exactly what she did.

"Do you think they succeeded?" he finally asked.

"It's not in the rules to bring back more than one. Maybe only one came-"

Alaric came back into the house then and dusted off his hands. "I'm going to take her to the cemetery to bury her," he clarified as he dug his car keys out of his pocket.

"I wouldn't go now," Bonnie said slowly. "There's no telling who Klaus brought back to life."

* * *

><p>an: Please review!


	13. Chapter 13 Without Remorse

a/n: So I had this chapter written, but decided to rewrite it. So hopefully this draft is better. Please continue to review, especially if you've stopped. Those reviews mean a lot to me. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 13 Without Remorse<p>

_I imply to mitigate the guilt, we could align,_  
><em>A perfectly constructed alibi,<em>  
><em>To hush the violent guilt that eats and never dies,<em>  
><em>In actual blame, they call me once the dark divides...<em>  
>-Simple Math by Manchester Orchestra<p>

"We're back where we started," Damon grumbled. He paced back and forth in the Gilbert living room while everyone else remained seated. "We should have known better than to trust that harlot."

Elena felt his pain, and knew that they had trusted far too many people. Yet, she wasn't completely sure whether he was calling Katherine or Misao the harlot.

"There has to be something we can do," Tyler spoke up. "I don't think any of us are just going to lie down and quit."

"Do we really have a choice?" Damon shrugged. "We've gone through Plans A-H, and still have nothing to show for it. There aren't that many letters of the alphabet left."

Letting out a deep breath, Elena let Damon's words sink in. They had been trying to stop Klaus for so long, and he was absolutely right. They currently had nothing to prove they were even trying to stop him except an awkward vial of red powder.

"Well we can't stay here," Elena finally said. "Klaus _and_ Katherine have been invited in."

"We can't go to my house since Katherine's been invited in," Caroline sighed.

"Katherine's been in my house too," Tyler shrugged. He looked to Caroline with an expression of regret, but determination. "I know someone's house neither Katherine nor Klaus has been in."

"No," Elena spoke up as she realized where the conversation was going. "I am _not_ putting Matt into any form of trouble."

"Katherine compelled him to do something earlier," Caroline spoke slowly. Her blue eyes were looking to Elena and searching for understanding. "He's already in this, whether or not we want him to be."

It overwhelmed Elena at that moment how unfair this war was becoming. There had been a time when her friends didn't have to worry about things that lurked in the darkness, but now they knew those terrors all too well.

"If we all show up at his door, we're going to overwhelm him," Elena sighed. "I don't think we need to bombard him."

"Then you go," Caroline said. "He's more likely to listen to you."

Nodding, Elena stood up and glanced over to Damon. "Would you walk over there with me?"

"After you." He motioned for her to lead the way.

The walk to Matt's house was quiet. Neither said a word as they were lost in their own thoughts. Even when Elena stood on Matt's doorstep, it took her a few moments to find the strength to speak before she finally knocked on the door.

"Elena?" Matt questioned as his blue eyes took her in. "What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering if some of us could stay the night?" Elena tried her best to smile, even though the weight of the day pushed down on her.

"_Some_?" Matt raised an eyebrow. "As in who?"

Elena let out a deep breath. "Obviously me. And Caroline, Tyler, and Damon." Her last sentence came out so quickly that her words were almost incoherent.

"Why should I let you?" Instead of being angry, his tone only mimicked tiredness.

"We need somewhere to go that's safe," Elena pleaded. "We don't have anywhere else to go. We're tired, and we're hungry. And you're involved in this Matt, even if you don't want to be."

His expression turned to one of nonchalance. "Do whatever you want. I'll be asleep in my room. Just don't wake me up."

As he finished speaking, Matt turned and disappeared up the stairs. Pain arched through Elena's heart as she watched him go. Still, this was at least a start.

Elena crossed the threshold quickly before turning back to Damon.

"You can come in."

Damon still didn't speak as he entered the house. Elena didn't bother speaking to him as she pulled out her phone and texted Caroline. She knew they'd be over in a matter of minutes. Then they would have to work on developing some form of action to take against Klaus.

* * *

><p>Bonnie sat in the corner of the room and attempted to count all the pieces of fabric that were thrown into the corner. When she finally reached thirty, she stopped and sighed.<p>

"How are you holding up?" Jeremy asked as he took a seat beside her. Alaric had disappeared upstairs a little while ago to etch out a plan, and had yet to return.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie questioned back as her green eyes looked to Jeremy.

"You just killed Caroline's mother. You should feel something."

"She was a vampire," Bonnie said without remorse. "She was already dead."

"You already said you didn't know that's what she was when you staked her."

"Look Jeremy," Bonnie spoke as her anger entered her words. "She killed you. Even if I helped bring you back to life, she still killed you. I couldn't forgive her for that."

"This isn't you Bonnie," Jeremy snapped. He looked to her with something close to disgust. "This isn't the Bonnie I fell in love with. You're someone else entirely."

"This is _war_," she made clear. "And I will do whatever it takes to protect those I love."

"I won't be part of that." Jeremy stood up then and started to walk away.

Bonnie quickly stood up too. "Is that it?" she questioned through the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Is that all you have to say after everything we've been through together?"

When Jeremy faced her, she could see his pain, but also his determination. "If the old Bonnie comes back, I'll gladly be with you again. But I don't know this Bonnie. She doesn't make sense to me."

Jeremy turned away then, but stopped suddenly. She watched as he shivered and shook his head. Finally, he looked back at Bonnie, and she could see the fear in his brown eyes.

"I can still see Jenna," he whispered. "I can still see the spirits."

"You weren't supposed to see them anymore if the Dark brought someone back." Bonnie's face turned white as her green eyes glanced back to the large amounts of fabric thrown in the corner. "Something must have gone terribly wrong..."

* * *

><p>Elena sat in the living room of Matt's house with Damon, Tyler, and Caroline. All occasionally glanced back and forth at each other, but no one said a word. There really wasn't much to say.<p>

In her hands was the small vial Misao had given her. The powder in this vial was only a small fraction of what the sphere had contained, but Misao had apparently thought it would be enough to stop Klaus. Still, Elena had no idea where to begin.

"Do you think Katherine went back to Klaus?" Elena finally asked as her brown eyes looked to Damon for answers.

"Nothing would surprise me," he shrugged back. His blue eyes looked tired. "I guess she realized that it would be better to plead with him for her life than to die with us."

"We're all going to die," Caroline whispered. She didn't look at anyone in particular, but instead stared at the floor. "There's no way we can live through this."

"We're going to try," Elena made clear. The stairs creaked slightly and she turned to see Matt descending the stairs. He looked apologetically at the people in his house.

"I guess this is for real then, isn't it?" he questioned as he ruffled his blond hair.

"Yeah," Elena nodded as she stood up and approached her friend. Without hesitating, she wrapped him up in a fierce hug. "I'm sorry that you're involved in all of this. I never wanted you to get hurt."

When she finally let go, he offered her a weak smile. "It's not really your fault," he said as his gaze drifted to Damon. "But it might be his."

Damon didn't respond. Instead, he placed a stone cold facade on his face.

It was then that Elena noticed Caroline. She stood up now, and her eyes were looking to Matt for some form of recognition. She started to take a step forward, but stopped and remained standing beside Tyler.

"So I guess you two are together now," Matt said softly as he met Caroline's gaze.

"Matt..." Caroline's tone was pleading.

"No, I get it," he nodded. "I should have known Caroline. I was just being stupid."

Elena suddenly felt like the moment was becoming too personal, so she slipped outside onto the front porch. Damon followed her outside, and she smiled weakly at him.

She wanted to feel something besides the hopelessness she currently felt, and the painful breaking of her heart, so she reached up and kissed Damon lightly on the lips. He returned the kiss before pulling away.

"What do you think we're supposed to do with that?" he asked as he pointed to the vial.

"I'm hoping Bonnie can tell us," Elena shrugged. "All of this power stuff is foreign to me."

"We'll need to meet with them tomorrow," he spoke. "And I need to meet with Liz and the rest of the Council. I'm sure they know things that are going on."

"I'll call Bonnie soon," Elena replied. She had yet to return Bonnie's call from earlier that day. But when they had gone through Misao's portal, Elena's battery had died. Now, it was in the living room charging. She tried to make a mental note to grab it when she went back in.

"Do you think we'll live through this?" Elena asked as she looked back at Damon.

He frowned in response. "I just don't know Elena," he said truthfully. "I've lived through a lot. But this? It's not like anything I've faced before."

She let his words sink in and tried not to lose hope. "I guess we need to go back inside then," she said softly. Damon only nodded before following her back inside.

* * *

><p>Klaus stood in the old gymnasium at the people on the morgue slabs. They were slowly moving, awakening to the new life he had created for them. At first, he had thought this would be a simple thing to do. Making his own race of hybrids seemed as simple as feeding people his blood and killing them. After all, that's what vampires always did. But having both vampire and werewolf blood inside their bodies had killed them.<p>

But there had always been a backup plan in place. He had heard how the witch had brought her lover back to life. He knew the consequences of her decision, and knew that he could bring back one as well. But creating one hybrid hadn't been enough. So he's created a plan to bring all of them back to life.

For each person that he'd given his blood to, he had killed an innocent at midnight. Their deaths and blood had allowed him to bring back his entire army of hybrids.

Now, some of them awoke for the first time in days. He could sense their hunger. And he had known they would need to feed. So he had provided for them.

Currently, there were about fifty humans chained to the floor of the gym. They cried and pulled against their restraints as they sensed their lives coming to an end.

The best part was, he had specifically chosen the humans who were about to become his hybrids' food. His favorite choice was the girl who stood next to him now. She wasn't crying or pulling against her restraints like the others. She knew she was going to die and had accepted it. He assumed this was the reason Damon had chosen her. She seemed able to withstand almost anything.

But her life would soon be gone.

"You'll pay for this," the girl spoke in a tone that didn't suggest anger or fear, only stark realization.

"My dear Andie," he smiled. "I will no longer pay for anything I do."

She didn't have time to respond to his remark. One of the hybrids had smelled the blood from her cuts and attacked her. Klaus watched as the girl screamed, and as her life left her body. When the hybrid had finished, Klaus merely grinned.

"Welcome to your new life, my daughter."

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><p>an: Please review!


	14. Chapter 14 The Games We Play

a/n: I've very happy with how this chapter turned out. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

><p>Chapter 14 The Games We Play<p>

_We write a thousand pages, they're torn and on the floor.__  
><em>_Headlights hammer the windows, we're locked behind these doors.__  
><em>_And we are never leaving, this place is part of us.__  
><em>_And all these scenes repeating are cold to the touch._  
>-Walls by Emery<p>

Elena sat on the bed in what used to be Vicki's room and stared down at the journal in her hands. Although she had started writing multiple times, multiple pages in her diary were taken up with crossed out words and phrases. No matter what she wrote, she couldn't quite convey what she wanted to.

Someone knocked lightly on the door, and then Caroline walked into the room. Elena offered her a warm smile despite all the pain she currently felt.

"You look terrible," Caroline remarked before she sat down on the bed beside Elena. "If you keep losing weight, we're going to have to force feed you."

Elena laughed a little at that, although she knew it was completely true. Dark circles were etched underneath her eyes from the long hours she'd been forced to stay awake. Added to that were the scrapes and bruises that covered her arms and legs. And since she hadn't eaten much lately, her clothes hung loosely around her body. The only good thing was that she had recently taken a shower and was currently very clean.

"Do you need to talk about anything?" Caroline finally asked.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to feel." Elena moved so that she was lying across the bed with her head resting in Caroline's lap. Elena's brown eyes stared at the ceiling. "Jenna and John both died only a few days ago. I thought I was going to lose Damon. I did lose Stefan. And I could have lost both Jeremy and Bonnie. I don't _feel_ that Caroline. I just feel numb."

"But he takes that away, doesn't he?" Caroline questioned. "When you're with him, you don't feel that numbness."

"No," Elena sighed. "I don't."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm supposed to be strong for Stefan," Elena spoke in soft tones. "I love him."

"We've known that for quite some time," Caroline laughed. Her blond curls bounced on her shoulders. "But you love him too."

"Damon?" Elena gasped as she sat up.

Caroline just rolled her eyes. "We all know it Elena. It might not be the same kind of love, or the same intensity, but it's there."

"I have no future with Damon," Elena made clear. Her tone was etched with sadness.

"And you have a future with Stefan?" Caroline inquired. "I didn't know you planned on becoming a vampire."

"I…" Elena stammered, but came up with no answer. Then, she shrugged. "I want the chance to decide what I want with Stefan."

"So no Damon?" Caroline looked a little disappointed.

"There's no point in hurting either of them with that decision."

"You've already hurt at least one of them," she pointed out. "It's easy to see how much you and Damon care about each other. And let's face it Elena. I know you're strong, but you've had to deal with so much recently. More than anyone should ever have to deal with. He's currently the only thing holding you together."

"So what do you suppose I do?" Elena's eyes reflected how weary she was.

"Truly think about everything that's gone on Elena," Caroline said slowly. She repositioned herself on the bed so she could look into Elena's eyes. "When the war ends, when the dust settles, when life begins again, who do you want to be with?"

"I know who I want to be with," Elena replied. This was a slight tinge of surprise in her voice.

"Then I'd tell him how you feel. Life is too short to do anything else."

* * *

><p>Damon heard the knock on the door, although he wasn't enthusiastic about actually answering it. He sat in his current position and allowed the knocking to continue. Soon, however, the knocking turned into pounding. And the pounding only annoyed him.<p>

Reluctantly, he moved over to the door and opened it. When he saw who was on the other side, he shut it again.

"I'm going to stand here and hit this door until you talk to me," a voice called.

"You left us to die," Damon made clear as he opened the door wide enough to glare at Katherine. "Why would I listen to you?"

"I did that to protect Elena," she shrugged. It never ceased to amaze Damon how Katherine tried to take her most selfish actions and pass them off for selflessness.

"I'd love to hear your story on what really happened then."

"Then let me in."

"No," Damon snarled. "You either tell me your story right here or leave. I'm in no mood to put up with you right now."

Katherine mocked being hurt.

"So how did you leaving us save Elena?" Damon questioned when she still didn't speak.

"Do you really think it was wise for us both to be seen in the same area?" Katherine retaliated. "I thought you would pull Elena out of the spring, regardless of whether or not you had the sphere. I was actually impressed when I saw you didn't."

"And how did this save her?"

"Come outside with me. Then I'll tell you what I did."

Damon hated playing games, but was too exhausted to fight her. So instead of slamming the door in her face again, he walked out onto the porch. From his current position, he could see the waning gibbous moon. Its light sent awkward shadows across the lawn that any creature could hide in.

"Klaus has no idea Elena is alive," Katherine spoke as she leaned against a nearby post on the porch. Her eyes didn't look at Damon. Instead, they were looking in the shadows too. "If we were seen together, Klaus would know she survived."

"And what's so bad about that? The ritual is over. Why would he care if she's alive or not?"

"Multiple reasons," she shrugged. "The first being that Klaus thinks he possesses a completely obedient Stefan. Klaus saw Elena die and knew how much Stefan cared for her. He used that to his advantage. Since Elena was dead, Klaus then offered Stefan a deal where he had to follow Klaus to save you. Stefan had to pretend like Elena was dead, or Klaus would have known something was up."

"You think Stefan still knows what he's doing?" Damon arched a perfect eyebrow.

"At times. I'm sure he blocks out his humanity when he's forced to kill. Otherwise, he wouldn't do it. But his focus was clear from the second he started drinking human blood. He's going to fight to keep his humanity for as long as he can so he can get back to you and Elena."

"And you knew about this from the beginning," Damon snarled. "Why didn't you tell me this then?"

"Because I had to wait for the right time to show my hand." Her eyes didn't reflect regret. "You know as well as I do Damon that if you reveal all your information at the beginning, you'll just end up getting killed. I needed an ace up my sleeve."

"And what do you have hidden up your sleeve after this?" Damon retorted.

"I think there's something special about Elena." She spoke this sentence so softly Damon could barely even hear her.

"What?"

"I think there is something inside of her that makes her a target for vampires. Like there's something that draws us to her."

He stared at Katherine like she was crazy. "You're joking, right?"

"Think about it." She was apparently getting agitated. "I was the original Petrova doppelganger. But vampires were attracted to me. It wasn't just through luck they found me. And Elena was the same way. I may have led Klaus here, but he was far from the only vampire who came here. You and Stefan were both drawn to her. You can try to pass if off as whatever you want it to, but the fact that she looked like me was far from the only reason you met her."

"Then what does this mean?"

"I'm not a gambling person," Katherine rambled. "I've never been one to take risks when I don't know the outcome. I like to live, and trying to survive leaves little time for taking chances." Her brown eyes found his. "But, I think there was something about Elena, something about me, and something about the original Petrova that makes vampires crave us."

"You think Elena's special?" Damon repeated as he tried not to laugh at Katherine's assertions and focused on keeping an emotionless face.

"Unfortunately so. And I think Klaus will do whatever it takes to possess her… and me." Katherine looked frail for a moment, uncharacteristically so. "I found out a little while ago about what happened to the original Petrova."

"Are you going to explain it?"

"Sure." Katherine's gaze drifted to the moon as if she was lost in thought. "It all started a long ago with one man's love for a girl…"

* * *

><p>Damon sighed as he reentered the Donovan house. He closed the door behind him and tried to decipher what Katherine had just told him. Currently, it all felt like too much.<p>

He saw Elena come down the staircase then, and felt like it was all just a bad nightmare. He had thought, no hoped, that she would be his now. But nothing had ever really changed, even if he had thought things had. Stefan was still off being a martyr, and he knew exactly what he was doing too. He was keeping Elena safe while Damon was just kissing her.

"I think we need to talk," Elena said softly as she entered the room. Her dark brown eyes made contact with his blue ones.

"I think we do too." His voice was sharp, sharper than he'd even intended it to be. But with everything that had happened with Katherine, he was tired of being the one who always got hurt.

Elena nodded slowly as she motioned toward the couch. "Can we sit down?"

Instead of speaking, Damon walked over and sat down. Elena settled in beside him before she finally turned to face him.

"Things are different when I'm around you," Elena spoke slowly. She was fidgeting with her hands to try to keep her mind occupied on something besides her nerves. "And our friendship has changed drastically over the past few days. I thought you were doing to die, Damon."

"So you kissed me." His tone was neural.

"I did," Elena nodded. "And you told me once that I wouldn't always love Stefan. That there would eventually be someone else."

"And?"

"I don't think it's Stefan anymore."

As much as Damon wanted to believe, as much as he wanted to hope, it was too much right now.

"I just talked to Katherine," he responded in a disinterested tone. "Apparently Stefan drinking your blood helped him."

"What?"

He could see the surprise and hope in her eyes, and hated it.

"This changes everything you just told me, doesn't it?"

Elena opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when her cell phone rang. She took it out of her pocket, offered up a confused and then excited expression, and then answered.

"Bonnie!" she exclaimed. "Is everything okay?"

Through the phone, Damon could hear Bonnie's voice speak as clearly as if she was beside him.

"We need to talk," Bonnie spoke softly.

* * *

><p>an: Hope you enjoyed! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please review!


	15. Chapter 15 The Original Petrova

a/n: Thanks to everyone who took the time to review. Please keep the reviews coming. I struggled to write this chapter, but am pleased with how it turned out. I had planned on finishing this and posting it on Saturday, but was introduced to the Hunter Games, and instead read. If you haven't read those books, I strongly suggest reading them. The first one is amazing. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 15 The Original Petrova<p>

_You are my sweetest downfall,__  
><em>_I loved you first, I loved you first.__  
><em>_Beneath the stars came fallin' on our heads,__  
><em>_But they're just old light, they're just old light.__  
><em>_Your hair was long when we first met…_  
>-Samson by Regina Spektor<p>

It was morning, and Damon stepped outside to watch as the first rays of the morning sun burst forth from the horizon. A deep pain had settled into his chest, but he tried to dismiss it. This wasn't the time or place to deal with the fact that someone had once again chosen Stefan over him.

He was just about to head outside when he saw it. Something was thrown across the front porch steps. At first, he thought someone had dumped bloodied clothes there, but on closer inspection, he realized it was something else entirely.

The person thrown across the steps was so mutilated that it took Damon a few moments to register who the person was. Her brown hair and eyes, however, were unmistakable.

As he tried to regain his thoughts, Damon paced back and forth in front of the dead body and tried not to feel, and to only think. Still, all he could do was look at the woman in front of him and feel guilt.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts and emotions that he had failed to notice the message written in blood across the sidewalk. He moved toward it now and took in the words written in crimson.

_The massacre will begin. Join us or perish. _

Damon rolled his eyes at the dramatic flair. Although he wasn't sure how Klaus had found them, he knew he was the one who orchestrated this. No one else would have known the significance of placing Andie's dead body on the steps outside their supposed safe house.

After Damon knelt down and closed Andie's lifeless eyes, he turned and went back into the house. He'd bury her, and then talk to the Council. Maybe they'd have some tricks up their sleeves.

* * *

><p>Elena currently stood in the living room of her house. When morning had arrived, everyone who had stayed at Matt's house moved back to Elena's house to meet Bonnie and her group there. Now, everyone either stood or sat in the room and waited for someone to speak.<p>

The funny thing about the silence was that Elena knew everyone had something to say. The events of the past few days weighed heavily upon her own shoulders, and she was sure it was the same for everyone else in the room. But the events that had occurred weren't something to be joyous about. So instead of speaking, everyone let the silence engulf them.

The morning had already been a hard one too. Damon had told her about Andie, but no emotion had shown on his face. It was as if he had retreated into himself to hide from their current reality. And although she didn't blame him, she currently needed him to come back to help her face everything that had happened.

Damon had also disappeared to talk with the Council, but they knew little too. They talked of a recent development that had occurred, but kept silent on the details. Damon had told her Liz wasn't at the meeting, and she secretly wondered why.

There was also the fact that Bonnie and Jeremy weren't sitting next to each other. They had barely made eye contact since they had arrived. Bonnie had, however, given both Alaric and Jeremy a fierce glare when they had arrived and informed them that she'd tell Caroline later. Alaric looked displeased, but had kept silent.

When Elena glanced back to Damon, she could see the impatience growing on his features. Looking out across the room, he finally shrugged. "Katherine told me last night about the original Petrova and how she made Klaus what he is now."

"Are you going to tell us what Katherine told you?" Bonnie asked as her eyes went to Damon.

"I actually think I'll tell it," a voice hummed. Everyone turned and watched as Katherine leaned against the back wall.

Although Elena wanted to tell her to leave, she knew they needed to hear the story. Anything they knew about Klaus could help them defeat him.

"Then tell it," Damon snapped.

"Like I said before," she grinned. "It all started a long ago with one man's love for a girl…"

* * *

><p><em>Klaus stood in one of the corners of the room and watched the celebration around him. His father had planned this party to help find wives for his sons. People had traveled for many miles for a chance to become part of their royal family. This was the fifth party they had had so far in the past year. Personally, Klaus was getting tired of the facades all these women put on to seduce the men of Klaus' family. All these women were the same… All of them except her. <em>

_Currently, she danced with Klaus' brother, Elijah. A smile lingered on her perfectly sculpted lips as she laughed at something Elijah had said. She looked absolutely beautiful in her pink dress that clung tightly to her stomach before billowing out toward the floor. Her dark brown hair was caught up in an intricate pattern that allowed a few strands to fall lazily into her dark brown eyes. She was the epitome of everything he had ever wanted. _

_But Klaus knew that favorites existed between him and his siblings over his father's affections. It was easy to tell who his father's favorite was. Although having six sons had made him beyond happy, his true delight had appeared with the birth of his daughter, Coraline. _

_Klaus existed at the bottom of this totem pole of affections. Despite the fact that he wanted Elijah's dance partner to be his, he knew his father would never permit it. So Klaus had come up with his own plan. The best part was, he knew it would work. _

"_May I interrupt?" Klaus smiled as he stood in front of Elijah and the beauty. _

"_Of course brother," Elijah bowed. "I hope you enjoy your dance."_

_Klaus didn't respond to his brother, but instead turned to face the woman. "May I have this dance?"_

"_Of course, my lord," she bowed. _

_Klaus didn't hesitate to take her hand into his own and lead her through the dance. He could feel her pulse race, and her cheeks blushed when he moved closer to her. _

"_Come with me, Charlotte," he whispered in her ear. _

"_And where will we go, my lord?" she questioned. Her tone reflected her innocence, and he wondered if she was really that naïve. _

"_Just follow me."_

_He took her by the hand then and led her upstairs…_

* * *

><p><em>Elijah watched Klaus take Charlotte upstairs. He was just getting ready to follow them when someone took hold of his shoulder and held him back. <em>

"_Make everyone leave," the woman spoke in a tone that demanded obedience. "I need to speak with your family about some events that have transpired lately."_

_Elijah opened his mouth to object, but shut it quickly. The woman's green eyes stared at him and waited for him to respond._

"_And who are you?" he finally asked. _

"_I'm a witch," she shrugged. "That's all you need to know."_

_When Elijah still didn't force everyone else out of the room, the witch snapped her fingers. Everyone who stood in the room besides Elijah's family flew out of the house. The doors automatically shut and locked behind them. _

"_What is the meaning of this?" Elijah's father asked, enraged. _

"_I mean you no harm," the witch made clear. "But if you threaten me, I will not hesitate to defend myself." She reached into the coat that hung around her body and produced some sheets of parchment with writing across them. Elijah tried to read them, but they were written in a language he didn't understand. "Things have happened recently that have set in motion events that couldn't have been foretold. As a witch, I am a servant to nature. My job is to keep the forces of nature balanced. When the Light gains power, power must also be given to the Dark. It is a difficult task to keep the sides at equilibrium." _

"_And what does this have to do with us?" one of Elijah's brothers questioned. He raked his hand through his long dark hair. _

"_You are the servants chosen to give power to the Dark. What you will soon become will be a creature that thrives in the night. You will no longer be bound by the limitations of humanity."_

"_Have you given power to any other families here?"_

"_One other," she nodded. "They were recently given a power too."_

"_And who are they?"_

"_That is of none of your concern." She glanced down at the parchment she held quickly before letting her green eyes return to the people around her. "In a few moments you will black out. When you wake up, you will be made new."_

"_Obscurum est macies,"she chanted. _

_Elijah instantly felt the pain. He crumbled to the ground before everything went black._

* * *

><p><em>When he awoke, he felt very different. He could see things he hadn't been able to see before, and could hear sounds that weren't being made in the room he stood in. A deep thirst had also settled in his throat that he longed to quench. It was all very disorientating. <em>

_The witch still stood in the room and watched as the different members of the family woke up. A frown crossed her lips though when she counted the people around her. _

"_Where is your brother?" she questioned as she turned to Elijah. _

_There was no need for him to respond. At that moment, Charlotte raced down the stairs with an expression of horror on her face. _

"_You brother fainted," she said quickly through gasps of air. "I don't know what happened." _

_Her eyes turned wide as she noticed that the throng of people had disappeared from the ballroom. Her brown eyes turned back to the staircase just in time to see Klaus appear at the top of the stairs. _

_The witch, however, didn't seem happy to see him. Her green eyes reflected anger, and the frown on her face had intensified. When she spoke, however, she turned back to the mother. _

"_What have you done?" the witch gasped. _

_The mother's eyes grew wide too. "How did you know?"_

"_He has the blood of the lycanthropes in his veins," the witch spat. "He was meant to help balance nature, not disrupt it."_

"_What is she talking about?" the father questioned as he moved forward. "How does he have different blood than the rest of our children?"_

"_He isn't _our_ child," the mother said sadly. "I'm sorry."_

"_You don't understand," the witch spoke up. Her annoyance was clear. "He is meant to be a vampire. Your mistakes have changed things. Therefore, his lycanthrope side must be contained."_

"_It should be my choice to make," Klaus said from the stair on which he stood. His eyes glistened with the power he knew he now possessed. _

"_And it will be your choice," the witch grinned. "Charlotte, would you please come here?"_

_The girl moved slowly through the room. Her eyes were wide with fear, but she obediently did what she was told. _

"_In your own way, you love her," the witch said as she looked at Klaus. "And you will see her again. It will then be your choice as to whether or not you kill her to unleash your werewolf side." Klaus momentarily appeared frightened and moved toward where Charlotte stood. _

"_Nex adveho.__" The witch snapped her fingers and Charlotte collapsed onto the ground. "It is done," the witch announced. "She's dead, and your werewolf side is locked."_

_A snarl escaped Klaus' lips as he sprung forward toward the witch. About a foot away from her he collapsed onto the ground in a spasm of pain. Elijah just watched, too scared to do anything else. Whatever this witch had formed them into was something unknown to them. And they were currently at her mercy. _

"_I'm sorry this hurt you too," the witch spoke as she turned to face Elijah. "But you always knew you and Klaus were different."_

_He was just about to open his mouth to ask what she meant when he was hit with the same tremor of pain Klaus had felt. When the pain subsided, the witch was gone…_

* * *

><p>"So that's it?" Elena asked as the story finished. "Klaus is obsessed with us because he actually cared for the girl who looked like us?"<p>

Katherine shrugged. "We'll never really know what Klaus feels. But I think he did love her. Or he was at least obsessed with her. And when she died, I think he snapped. He's currently a savage, power-hungry hybrid who is pretending to be sane."

"And where did you hear that story at?"

"Elijah told me a while ago. I only recently began to see it as truth."

"Do you think he knows I'm still alive?" Elena asked to no one in particular.

"He knew we were at Matt's house," Damon replied. "Nothing would surprise me at this point."

Elena rubbed her hands across her eyes to try to block out some of the pain. With everything that was going on, she just needed time to process it.

But she wasn't given that time. Bonnie's eyes fixed on Caroline as if she was preparing herself for war. Elena opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when Bonnie talked instead.

"Klaus turned your mother into a vampire a little while ago," Bonnie said with determination. She didn't stop when Caroline's mouth gaped open. Instead, she almost gained power from it. "She attacked us the other night, Caroline. And I killed her."

* * *

><p>an: I hope you enjoy my history of the Originals. I had to include a girl in there as one of the siblings.

As always, please review!


	16. Chapter 16 Dealing With the Loss

a/n: Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I recently started reading the Hunter Games, and they've taken priority over writing for a while. I hope you enjoy this chapter. And please review!

* * *

><p>Chapter 16 Dealing With the Loss<p>

_I tell my love to wreck it all,_  
><em>Cut out all the ropes and let me fall,<em>  
><em>My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my,<em>  
><em>Right in the moment this order's tall...<em>  
>-Skinny Love by Bon Iver<p>

The room fell into chaos.

"What?" Caroline shrieked as she jumped to her feet. Her eyes were blaring with anger. "How could you Bonnie? She was my _mother_."

"And she was compelled to kill us," Bonnie replied. Her green eyes showed no remorse. "I did what I had to to make sure we were safe."

It was easy to see how Caroline's rage and sadness battled within her. It was also easy to see that she was quickly losing control. "We? Really Bonnie? I don't think killing my mother _protected_ me."

"Did you expect me to die so she could live?" Bonnie snapped.

"I expected you to find another way besides killing her," Caroline retorted. Her tears were falling now, but her voice never wavered. "There has always been another way besides killing."

"There wasn't this time."

Caroline's blue eyes went to Jeremy and Alaric for conformation. Finally, Alaric shrugged.

"I was blacked out when she killed your mother. I don't know the circumstances of her death. But Klaus _was_ controlling her."

"It's nice to see that Bonnie can make sure you're okay, but not even bother to help my mother," Caroline said in a quiet voice. She turned back to Bonnie then with unforgiveable eyes. "If I were you, I would stay away from me for a while."

With those words, Caroline marched up the stairs toward Elena's bedroom. Matt quickly followed behind her. Tyler took a step toward the staircase, but stopped a few feet away and shrugged. His brown eyes met Elena's.

"She'd probably rather talk to you."

Elena nodded slowly in response before she took the stairs to the next floor. Caroline was sitting on her bed, crying, and holding onto Matt's hands for dear life. As Elena entered the room, Caroline tried to smile, but the attempt failed miserably.

"Why would she do that?" Caroline finally asked in a quiet voice.

"She thought she was doing the right thing," Elena replied because truthfully, whether or not it was the right decision, it was the one Bonnie had thought was the correct one.

Elena slid onto the bed with Caroline and took one of her hands from Matt.

"I know that whatever I say to you now won't help ease the pain. It won't take away the sadness, or the anger. I've been there multiple times Caroline, and I know what it was like. But I'm here for you. And you will always be in my thoughts."

"Thank you," Caroline mouthed before embracing Elena in a fierce hug. When they pulled away, Caroline wiped her eyes. "How do I deal with the Bonnie situation?"

"I don't know," she replied truthfully. She remembered now seeing how distant Bonnie and Jeremy had been when they'd first entered the house. She wondered how much Jeremy was hurting too.

"Go back downstairs and develop a plan to stop Klaus," Caroline said with as much intensity as she could manage. "He needs to pay for this."

"I'll be back up soon," Elena replied before she turned and disappeared downstairs. When she entered the living room again, she noticed that Bonnie and Tyler weren't in the room.

"I made them leave," Damon explained when he registered the look of shook on Elena's face. "They're in the backyard now."

There was a forced calm over Damon's body now, and Elena wondered if he'd even try to forgive Bonnie for this. Despite their differences, Damon had always seemed to admire Liz.

"Then what's our plan?" Elena questioned. She made sure to avoid Katherine as she went over and sat down on the couch between Alaric and Jeremy.

It took everyone only a few minutes to catch everyone else up on everything that had gone on during the past few days. When they finished, it was Jeremy who spoke.

"Jenna said that we could somehow channel the power of the spirits. She also said it was impossible to destroy Klaus."

As Jenna's name was mentioned, Elena felt her heart rip in two. As much as she wanted to go to Damon, she continued to sit on the couch. "Nothing's impossible," Elena managed to choke out.

"Do you think Misao's powder will allow us to defeat him?" Alaric questioned.

Elena shrugged. "Why not? She must have thought it was enough or she wouldn't have given it to us."

"And we can't even trust the one person who can figure out what power it holds," Damon smirked.

As much as Elena wanted to object to that comment, she couldn't bring herself to do so. Right now, she wasn't completely sure she trusted Bonnie either.

"She won't hurt me or Jeremy," Elena made clear. "I'm positive of that. She'll help us find out what power it holds."

Damon looked at her with an expression that clearly showed he thought she was crazy. Finally, however, he nodded.

"I know she'll protect you. I just don't want to end up being killed by her."

"You think she could kill you?" Katherine laughed.

"I'd put my money on her over any of us," Damon made clear.

"Do you think the people Klaus brought back to life were his hybrids?" Alaric questioned to change the subject.

"Let's hope he hasn't created any of them yet," Damon replied. "If so, our odds at winning just decreased."

Elena sat in silence for a few minutes. Regardless of whether or not Klaus had an army of hybrids, it all seemed hopeless.

"I need some air," Elena muttered before she moved toward the kitchen. She stopped, however, before she turned and went out the front door. She wanted to be above it all, but knew she couldn't talk to Bonnie quite yet.

The air outside was warm, almost smothering. Elena heard the door open and thought Damon had followed her outside. When she turned around though, she saw Jeremy.

"I can't imagine what you're going through," Elena said softly. She took his hand softly in her own. "How do you feel about everything that happened?"

"I broke up with her," Jeremy whispered. His brown eyes were just staring out into their neighborhood. "It just seemed too cold, you know?"

"I know," Elena nodded. She wasn't sure what else to say. Although Bonnie's actions had kept her brother safe, it was still a lot to handle. "I guess we need to go back inside."

"Yeah."

They walked back inside in silence. But when they entered the living room, they were immediately part of the conversation.

"You're going to get us all killed," Katherine spat. "I should have known better than to trust you."

Damon actually laughed. "You've never trusted anyone Katherine. Don't be dramatic."

"What's going on?" Elena questioned as she moved into the room. That only resulted in her getting a finger pointed in her direction by Katherine.

"See? She doesn't even get it?" Katherine's brown eyes looked at Elena with disgust. "How can you be so _stupid_?"

Elena rolled her eyes. Apparently Damon's advice to Katherine wasn't going to be taken. "I would actually know what was going on if someone would talk to me."

"Damon wants me to pretend to be you," Katherine said with as much venom as she could muster. "Apparently I'm good at it or something."

"And what would that accomplish?" Elena was confused.

"Klaus has to know you're alive. Whatever advantage we thought we had in that realm is gone," Damon explained calmly despite Katherine's heated glares. "Klaus will also think that Katherine jetted out of here the first chance she had. After all, why would she stay? And this would make sure that you remain safe."

"But I'm going with you," Elena said quickly. "I'm not going to be left behind while you go out and fight Klaus."

"I told you it wouldn't work," Katherine mocked from her position by the wall. "She's too much of a martyr to stay behind."

Damon looked like he was going to argue for a second, but then only shrugged. "Then what do you suppose we do?"

"Get Bonnie to find out how much power it will take to kill Klaus, and try to see how much she can harness between the spirits and the powder. We need to know if he can be killed."

"Then Bonnie needs to be part of this conversation," Jeremy spoke up. He didn't appear happy with this idea, but accepted it. "I'll go get her."

Elena watched him leave, wanting to go with him, but knowing this was something he had to do on his own. It was going to be something they all had to face on their own.

As the stairs creaked slightly, Elena turned around and saw Caroline and Matt enter the room. It was easy to see that Caroline had been crying, but no tears escaped her eyes now. She was beyond that.

"So what have we decided to do?" Caroline asked. Her voice was slightly strained.

"We need Bonnie," Elena replied. Although the anger was evident in Caroline's eyes, she didn't dispute this fact.

A commotion sounded in the kitchen then, and Elena rushed toward the room before she even made a conscious decision to do so. Jeremy was positioned near the table as he tried to hold up Tyler's limp form. A sound escaped Tyler's lips, and it took Elena a few moments to decide it was something close to a growl.

"What happened?" Elena gasped as she moved over to help Jeremy keep Tyler in a sitting position. His forehead was on fire, but she wasn't sure why.

Tyler growled again and shook his head angrily. Even though he opened his mouth countless times to speak, the only thing that came out was a growl.

The rest of the group had moved into the kitchen then, and all their eyes were focused on Tyler.

"I don't think he can speak," Alaric remarked. He disappeared from the room and then reappeared with a pencil and paper. He set the items down in front of Tyler, and Tyler nodded in response.

Tyler's movements appeared strained, but he somehow managed to write a message across the paper. Although the letters were oversized and childish, the message was clear.

_Bonnie's gone... And she took the vial with her. _

* * *

><p>an: Please review!


	17. Chapter 17 First Come the Dreams

a/n: So someone mentioned in the reviews that they needed more Delena. Well, here it is. This chapter better receive plenty of reviews. ;)

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><p>Chapter 17 First Come the Dreams<p>

_Well it was just a dream,__  
><em>_Just a moment ago,__  
><em>_I was up so high,__  
><em>_Lookin' down at the sky,__  
><em>_Don't let me fall…_  
>-Don't Let Me Fall by B.O.B.<p>

Night.

It was the time Elena dreaded the most. They had sent the majority of the day searching for Bonnie, but they hadn't been able to find her. As a result, they had lost countless hours of planning how to destroy Klaus. And without Bonnie or the vial, they had little chance of beating him anyway.

When the search for Bonnie had ended, the groups had split up between Matt and Alaric's houses to sleep during the night. After much pleading, Elena had finally convinced Damon to let her go to her house and grab some things from her room. But as she stood in her room, she didn't really know what to take.

To make things worse, Damon stood in the doorway and watched her. He didn't speak to keep up a conversation, or to tell her to hurry. He just studied her in a way that made Elena completely nervous.

She turned to him then and took in his appearance. It was easy to see how tired he was. There was also something dark inside of his eyes that suggested that there was a battle waging itself within his body. It didn't take long for Elena to figure out what it was.

"You haven't eaten today, have you?" she asked in almost a whisper.

He shook his head, but smiled. "I'll be fine Elena."

Despite his assertions, she wasn't so sure about it. "You're not going to have another chance to feed until sometime tomorrow. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," he said a little impatiently. And it was that impatience that allowed Elena to know he was lying.

Elena tried to keep her breathing even. She could remember the time Damon had been almost insane from the werewolf poison in his veins and his teeth had descended on her neck. The thought of him biting her was almost unbearable.

"You need blood," Elena spoke shakily. She swept her hair to the side and tried to appear brave. "Take what you need."

His expression was one of uttermost surprise. She could see how much he desired it, but also how much the idea repulsed him.

"No," he finally said flatly.

"We don't have a choice, Damon," Elena replied in the same tone.

"There always a choice," he grinned.

"If you don't eat, you're not going to be able to protect me," Elena threw in his face. "If someone attacks us, I'll die."

He frowned at her. Finally, however, he shrugged. "I will on one condition."

"And what is this condition?"

His blue eyes reflected something close to mischief. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she spoke softly.

As he crossed the room to her, his eyes never left hers. "Take off your necklace."

She nodded as she obeyed his words. Although she wanted to ask what he was doing, she kept her mouth shut and waited for him to explain.

His hands touched her waist and gently pushed her back until she was touching the wall. Her eyebrows rose in question, but he just smiled.

"It's easier if you have something to brace yourself against," he explained. He looked deep into her brown eyes. "I'm going to compel you while I do this so it won't hurt you. It will feel like you're in a dream during that time. I'll see whatever you see, and we'll both be able to manipulate whatever dreamscape you create."

"That sounds fascinating," Elena breathed. Her body trembled slightly from the contact she had with Damon, but her eyes never left his. "Why haven't I been told of this before?"

"Because whatever is in the dream isn't real," Damon shrugged. "There's really no need to do this outside of easing the pain of feeding."

Elena let out a deep breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "I'm ready then."

Just as she finished the sentence, her scenery quickly changed. Instead of being pressed against the wall, she was standing in the middle of her room. Damon stood in the door like he had moments before. A grin was plastered on his face.

"What do you want to do in your dream, Elena?" he crooned.

Blinking her chocolate eyes, Elena looked around the room. Everything appeared in place, and she found it slightly odd that her subconscious had recreated this place so perfectly.

"I don't know," Elena replied truthfully. She moved across the room to the window and gazed outside. Everything outside was perfect too.

When she turned around, however, he was standing closely beside her. Apparently his superhuman abilities worked here too.

Acting only on instinct, Elena reached out and placed her hands tentatively on Damon's stomach. She realized that she was nervous, and that thought alone made her want to laugh out loud. But instead, she leaned forward and gently kissed him on the lips. Something stirred within Elena, and even when they parted, the space between them was unbearable. She didn't hesitate to close the gap again.

This time, the kiss was long and deep. She could feel Damon trembling, and knew she was too. Even though they had kissed before, they'd never really had this much privacy. And she planned to use every moment they had.

Before she could even think about it, they were on the bed. Damon was on top of her, still kissing her with those painfully slow kisses. They were so torturous that Elena moaned for more. Damon pulled apart then and studied her.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Damon spoke. She could tell how hard it was for him to be where he was and not kiss her.

"You said that this wasn't real," Elena responded softly. "That it was just a dream."

Elena knew even as those words escaped her lips that they were far from true. This was one of the realest moments she had had with anyone in a long time.

Apparently what she said was enough to convince him to continue. His lips found hers, and Elena had to fight to keep the fire inside of her from destroying her. She wasn't used to this heat. If she didn't stop soon, she was sure she'd be devoured by it.

As his lips left her face and trailed down her neck, she sighed softly. Her hands were locked in his dark hair while he kissed her. When his teeth raked lightly across her skin, she moaned with both pleasure and surprise.

Everything changed again, and she had to hold onto Damon to keep herself upright. She was no longer lying on a bed, but instead was leaning against the wall. Damon had apparently finished feeding, but honestly, Elena was far from ready to quit.

Her hungry lips found his. Her hands tangled in his clothes as she pulled him impossibly close to her body. Still, she felt like there was too much space between them. Not wanting to waste a second, her hands moved underneath his shirt and gripped onto the hem of his shirt. Although she tried to pull it over his head, Damon took a step away.

"This is real," Damon spoke in a husky tone.

"I know," Elena whispered.

"We need to get back and join the others."

"I know that too."

Neither moved though. They both seemed torn between leaving and staying there entwined together. Elena was just about to kiss Damon again when an incessant ringing emitted from her phone.

"I guess I need to get that," Elena spoke softly before she walked to the bedside table where her phone was perched. She saw Matt's familiar number and answered quickly. "Is everything okay? Did Klaus attack?"

Even as she said her last words, she knew how silly they sounded. If Klaus had attacked, there was no way Matt would have been able to call her.

"No," he said to confirm her theory. "But we have other monsters here now. And by monsters, I mean Carol Lockwood and a group of her followers. They're looking for Caroline. They haven't found her yet, but it's only a matter of time."

Elena didn't even bother to ask what they wanted Caroline for. She'd find that out later. "I'm on my way."

The phone line went dead, and Elena turned to Damon. Her body still burned from their previous contact, but she tried to block out her feelings.

"We need to get to Matt's house as soon as possible. I think the Council knew more than they told you."

* * *

><p>Damon walked into Matt's house after knocking on the door had produced no results. Elena moved in beside him and surveyed the room too. Even with his sensitive hearing, Damon could barely make out Carol and Tyler speaking in another room.<p>

"I told you, mom. We're having a guy's night here. You even saw the video games."

Glancing to his left, Damon saw that the television was on and was currently paused on a screenshot of Halo. They probably had been playing the game when the Mayor had arrived.

"We received reports that Caroline was here," Carol continued as their voices grew louder. Apparently they were moving. "If you're caught harboring a criminal, there's no guarantee that I can protect you."

"A criminal?" Tyler replied as he entered the room. His eyes caught Damon and Elena, and something close to relief washed over them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Elena began in her sincere voice. "I just needed to see Jeremy. He had talked about coming over here for a while."

"Yeah," Tyler replied. "I think he went to the kitchen to grab something to drink."

"Thank you," Elena smiled before she disappeared from the room.

Damon made sure to look to Carol then and raise a perfect eyebrow. "What are you doing here, Mayor?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she retorted, but then sighed. "Let's go outside. There are something things we need to discuss."

As Damon opened the door, he moved out of the way to allow Carol to pass by. He nodded slightly at Tyler before closing the door behind him.

"First things first," Carol began as her blue eyes locked with Damon's. "What are you doing here with Elena?"

Damon let facades of sadness engulf his being. Although he considered crying a little, he decided that might be a little too dramatic. "We haven't seen Stefan for a few days," he spoke truthfully. His melancholy mood wove through his words. "I've afraid something has happened to him."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Carol replied as she gently squeezed one of Damon's hands. Despite her caring gesture, her tone didn't reflect the same compassion. "If something happened and he was changed, you know what you'll have to do."

Nodding, Damon continued, "So what brought you here tonight?"

She let out a deep breath. "A few hours ago, I found Liz's body on my front steps. She'd been staked, Damon. There's no telling how long she's been feeding our secrets to _them_."

Damon wanted to hit her right then for being so stupid. Instead, he said, "I still don't see why you're here."

"Caroline," Carol replied as if that explained everything. When Damon didn't speak, she rolled her eyes. "She had to know about her mother. There's a chance she's one of them too. Think about it Damon."

He did. And when he did, he could really find no logical route Carol could have taken to get to that decision. After all, the Council had no idea he was a vampire.

"There's something else you're no telling me," he finally said.

Carol shifted a little and confirmed Damon's theory. "There was a note with Liz's body that tipped us off about Caroline."

Right on cue, the front door burst open. A few policemen came out and held onto a struggling Caroline. Although Damon knew she could take them on in her sleep, he was sure she was trying to appear as human as possible.

"What are you doing?" Elena gasped as she pushed out onto the porch too. "You can't take Caroline anywhere."

"This is a mistake, mom," Tyler interjected when he appeared with Matt and Jeremy.

"I don't want to hear _you_ say anything else," Carol snapped as she pointed an accusing finger at her son. "I will not deal with you lying to me."

"Why not, mother?" Tyler replied coolly. "You've been lying to me for quite some time now."

"I will _not_ be spoken to like that," she screamed.

Damon could see Tyler's anger peeking. The familiar rage was already glistening in his eyes. And if he lost his temper, Damon wasn't sure he'd interject to stop Carol from getting her head ripped off.

It was then that Damon heard it. At first it sounded like a pack of coyotes. But Damon knew better than that. Those sounds weren't being emitted by an animal. Instead, they were coming from something more sinister and deadly.

Then he heard the first human scream that ended in an eerie silence. He honestly didn't want to find out what would happen if those beings arrived at this house.

"I think we need to get inside," Damon spoke as calmly as he could muster.

"But I have to deal with _her_," Carol responded as she pointed unnecessarily to the blond girl.

Damon looked back into the darkness that had settled on the neighborhood. "I think we have more important things to deal with than a teenage girl."

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><p>an: Please review. =)


	18. Chapter 18 Then Come the Nightmares

a/n: Thanks for the reviews. Please keep them coming. =)

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><p>Chapter 18 Then Come the Nightmares<p>

_Alone in the wind and the rain you left me,__  
><em>_It's getting dark darling, too dark to see,__  
><em>_And I'm on my knees, and your faith in shreds, it seems…_  
>-Thistle and Weeds by Mumford and Sons<p>

Bonnie stood in the entrance to the witch's burial grounds. The air tingled with the power the witches had left behind here. Unfortunately, right now, the power seemed to be targeted at her.

As she stepped into the first room, the door shut automatically behind her. Honestly, she hadn't expected a warm welcome. Still, it was hard to not try to escape. The only thing that kept her moving was her desire to make things right.

"Emily!" Bonnie called throughout the house. When the house itself shook, Bonnie felt herself collapse onto the floor. Her elbows slammed against the floor, and the impact sent tremors throughout the rest of her body. A cry escaped her lips before she attempted to speak.

"You know what's happened," Bonnie yelled into the darkness of the house. "You know what he did. And you know he has to be stopped."

_We know._

The sound sent a shiver down Bonnie's spine, but she pushed herself into a sitting position nevertheless.

"I need to infuse this powder in my veins. I need to be able to draw power from it. And I need to get as much power from you as possible. I need anything you can give me to beat him."

_You failed the first time. What will be different now?_

The words stabbed Bonnie like a knife. "You know I stand the best chance at beating him."

_We are not certain of this._

Bonnie could feel her anger gathering inside her. "Fine," she snapped. "Give me this chance to kill him. If I fail, you can take my life as retribution."

_You would do that? To save her?_

"It's not just about Elena," Bonnie spoke softly. "It's about Jeremy too."

_Your sacrifice will be in vain. Klaus has become far too powerful to be killed by normal means. For Klaus to die, there must be a payment made. _

"I don't care to make it," Bonnie made clear.

_The cost cannot be paid by you…_

"By who then?" Bonnie questioned, although she already knew what they were going to say. They had always talked about there being consequences when Jeremy was brought back from the dead. She had been naïve enough to think that his only problem was that he could see the spirits. Regret filled her body. If she would have killed Klaus to begin with, none of this would have happened.

Emily didn't respond to her comment, so Bonnie continued to speak, "I won't sacrifice Jeremy to stop Klaus."

_There is no other way. Nature is seeking equilibrium again. _

"And killing Klaus will bring that balance."

_When Klaus' werewolf side was bound, the witch present killed his love and forced him to kill the girl's doppelganger to set his lycanthrope side free. As long as Klaus is alive, balance cannot be attained. But his death does little to balance nature too. We have sinned, and it is time our payment be made._

Bonnie's body shook involuntarily as she cried. "I love him, Emily," she managed through tears.

_And that love will be his downfall. He was brought back to life because of your love, and he will die because of your love too._

"This isn't fair," Bonnie said as she clenched her fists. "Jeremy is innocent in this."

_I am going to tell you how to defeat Klaus. Then it will be your decision to make…_

* * *

><p>The group crowded inside the living room as the howls came from a location closer to the house. Elena tried to stay strong as she glanced across at all the indecisive faces. No one really seemed to know what to do.<p>

"Do you think silver will hurt them?" Tyler asked, and received an odd look from his mother in response.

"Or vervain?" Caroline questioned seconds later.

"It's not like we have a huge supply of either," Damon shrugged in response.

"Oh!" Caroline exclaimed loudly as she stood up. "Tyler and I gave Matt some vervain a few days ago. Do you still have some of it?"

"Um… Yeah," Matt replied as he raked a hand through his blond hair. "I'll be back in a second."

When Matt returned with the small bag of vervain, Damon laughed. "That's enough for maybe one vampire. Not a legion of them."

"We only need to see if it works on the hybrids," Elena spoke up. "We need to come up with some other way to kill them."

"Fire?" Caroline ventured.

Damon shrugged. "It might work."

"And how exactly do you plan on us creating enough fire here to kill multiple vampires?" Carol spoke for the first time.

"Not vampires," Damon corrected. "Hybrids. Like what happens when you mix vampires with your family."

"What are you talking about?" Carol asked as she stood up from her seat. Damon, however, ignored her.

"I think I have some gasoline and lighter fluid in my garage," Matt said. He was already leaving the room. "I'll be back."

"Do you actually support this?" Carol looked to Damon with a disapproving look while she crossed her arms over her chest.

"If you have any better ideas, I'd love to hear them. If not, I really wish you'd stop talking."

A look of indignation crossed Carol's face, but she did remain quiet.

"It's too bad we don't have Alaric here," Jeremy frowned. "I'd love to have his weapon arsenal at our disposal right now."

More howls drifted into the room, followed closely by human screams. Elena shuddered as she rubbed her arms to try to bring herself warmth.

"Here's everything I have," Matt spoke as he set down a can of lighter fluid and a ten gallon container of gasoline.

Damon nodded. "Do you have any silver?"

"Yes," Matt said uncertainly. "I have a few silver knives."

"Then I have a plan."

* * *

><p>Elena stood outside in the dim moonlight and surveyed the scene. Although Damon had begged her to stay in the house, she had made it clear that she was taking part in this battle. After everything they had been through, she didn't want to be left alone.<p>

The howls had intensified, and Damon had informed them that the hybrids would be at their house within minutes. They had set out to quickly create their trap, and now, they just hoped everything went according to plan.

When the first hybrid entered the area, Elena took an instinctive step backwards. The man gazed at her with bloodthirsty eyes and he stalked toward her. He winked at her seconds before he changed into a wolf. A muffled gasp escaped Elena lips as she ran.

"They can change!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Her foot caught on something though, and she crashed to the ground. Scratches covered her arms and legs where she had fallen, and her blood seemed to urge the hybrid toward her.

Elena reached out; desperately searching the ground for the knife she'd dropped when she had plummeted to the ground. Her hands closed around the hilt of the knife just as the wolf pounced. She raised the knife above her head, and as the wolf descended on her, she watched as the knife buried itself in the animal's body. It thrashed around for a few seconds, clawing Elena's arms and legs in the process, before it fell still.

"Run!" Caroline shouted as she pushed the wolf's body off of Elena. Elena hesitated only long enough to retrieve the silver knife before she raced with Caroline across the grounds.

"There are so many of them," Caroline continued. Her blond curls bounced on her shoulders as she ran. "We didn't anticipate this."

Elena wanted to tell her that none of this was anticipated, but she was too out of breath to do so. Although Damon and Tyler were fighting off some of the hybrids, the majority of the group was moving toward the house.

"The vervain affected the hybrid when it was in its vampire form, but not in its werewolf form," Jeremy announced as he joined the group running toward the house.

"The silver hurt the werewolf form," Elena inputted, although she wished she would have had time to try it on one of the hybrids in vampire form.

Elena stood at the threshold of the invisible boundary the group had set up between the house and the neighborhood beyond. It was critical to their success that no hybrids made it this close to the house. They needed to set their last weapon into motion, but Elena couldn't do that until Damon and Tyler were inside the house's perimeter.

"Damon!" Elena called, but her voice was drowned out in the sounds of the night. Damon and Tyler had both sensed the need to move, however, and were racing toward Elena. When they had passed her, Elena lit the match in her hands, and dropped the flame to the ground.

Although she had moved as quickly as possible, the fire had still managed to catch the hem of her jeans on fire. She stomped the fire out as she watched her small flame follow the line of gasoline and lighter fluid that had been positioned around the house. When the fire had spread, the house and part of the lawn were separated from the streets by a circle of massive flames.

The first few hybrids that tried to cross the barrier were instantly killed as the fire consumed their bodies. A few more of the hybrids attempted to get through, but the results were the same, regardless of whether they appeared as a wolf or vampire. The rest of the creatures hung back in the shadows of the night as they contemplated how to get to the people they wanted to destroy.

Elena sunk to the ground as her legs gave way. An overwhelming relief consumed her being as she realized they were safe.

That relief was only short-lived.

"I see you've tried to stop us," a voice laughed from the other side of the flames. Elena instantly recognized the voice as Klaus'.

Damon opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when the flames disappeared. He nodded his head in quiet acceptance. "I see you brought your witch with you."

"She is an invaluable tool," Klaus grinned. Elena shuddered from his action, but forced herself to stand back up. "I see that you, however, have decided to dismiss your witch."

"If I didn't know you better, I would think you were stalking us," Damon grinned.

"You know nothing about me," Klaus replied in a warning tone. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips though. Apparently he was enjoying this. "There is no need for us to fight, Damon. As you can see, if you were only fighting my hybrids, you would still be greatly outnumbered. As it were, however, you have many more people to fight besides my prized offspring. I would rather talk."

"Talk," Caroline laughed. "You must be joking."

"Really now," Klaus frowned, "There is no need for rudeness. I only insist upon a talk with Mr. Salvatore."

"Damon, don't," Elena spoke softly from where she stood.

"I don't have a choice," he smiled sadly before he crossed halfway to where Klaus stood. "At least meet me halfway."

When Klaus reached Damon, he was smiling. He wrapped his arm over Damon's shoulder as they walked and spoke. After a few minutes of trying to decipher what they were saying, Elena looked to Caroline.

"Can you hear them?"

"I can just get bits and pieces." Caroline shook her head as if trying to clear it. "Klaus wants you and Damon to do something. He says he'll let everyone else free if you do what he says."

"What does he want with us?"

"I…" Caroline cursed underneath her breath. Damon and Klaus had already finished their discussion. Currently, Damon walked back toward them with a mixture of sadness and rage on his face.

"What does he want?" Elena asked quickly as she raced to meet Damon.

Damon looked to Elena then, and she took a step back. Blind fury tore through his blue eyes as he looked at Elena with a mixture of protectiveness and hatred. Finally, he spat, "He wants you."


	19. Chapter 19 Learning to Let Go

a/n: I loved reading everyone's responses to the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one was well. =)

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><p>Chapter 19 Learning to Let Go<p>

_No one ever taught me,_  
><em>What I really need to know.<em>  
><em>Like how to love some one, <em>  
><em>And let em' go...<em>  
>-On the Run by 1997<p>

Elena sat in the living room of Matt's house with her head propped against the palm of her head. Light filtered into the room, but the light couldn't even burn away the grim faces on the people surrounding her.

The night had been filled with endless hours of no sleep. Although Klaus had left after speaking to Damon, his hybrid creatures had remained. They hadn't attacked, just stood and watched the house in an eerie silence. Jeremy had remarked that the spirits were standing between the house and the hybrids. Elena liked to think that they had offered some form of protection against the beasts.

Now, however, everyone was tired. Alaric and Katherine had recently rejoined the group, while Carol and her minions had left at the first sign of dawn. Silence lingered in the air as they tried to come up with some plan that might keep them all safe.

"He never actually said he was going to hurt me," Elena finally sighed. "Maybe I should just go. It's not like there's a better plan out there."

"I'm tired of Klaus being in charge. There must be some way to take that power away from him," Damon spat.

"And going against him has honestly gotten us nowhere," Alaric spoke. "I'm not saying sacrifice Elena," he continued when Damon glared at him. "I'm just saying that we have to be smart about this. And not make the same mistakes we've already made."

"So what exactly did Klaus tell you?" Caroline asked. "I couldn't make it all out."

Damon sighed. "He told me that I had to appear at the cemetery tonight at midnight with Elena. If he saw anyone else with us, he said that he wouldn't hesitate to kill all of us."

"That's a harsh warning."

"And it doesn't leave any room for error," Alaric put in.

"And what else did he say?" Elena asked.

"He said that he wanted you." Then, Damon grinned. "I suppose there was something else he wanted me to see, or he was just smart enough to know that I wouldn't let you go by yourself."

"Do you think the hybrids will attack anyone else while we're gone?"

"Let's hope not," Jeremy said. "But if he does, we'll fight back."

"This still seems too clean-cut," Caroline said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Klaus chose not to kill us last night, and instead sent us a message to send Damon and Elena to him tonight. Who does that? Why not end it then?"

"He just wants to play with you," Katherine said with malice in her voice. "He let me go the night I gave Damon his cure. The only reason he let me go was because he thought he could get me back."

There was a knock on the door then, and everyone turned to look in that direction. Finally, Jeremy shrugged and crossed the room to the door. When he opened it, everyone saw Bonnie standing in the doorway.

"I know I'm not your favorite person right now," Bonnie spoke. Dark circles lined her eyes and her tiredness was apparent. "I know how to stop him."

"Oh, and I'm sure we're all going to cry, and forgive you, and then put our lives in your hands," Katherine declared dramatically. "I have better things to do than to trust someone who has already betrayed us."

Katherine moved to leave, but Damon grabbed onto her and pulled her back into the room. "You're part of this too."

"And when I became part of this, I was guaranteed that I could stay in the shadows, that I wouldn't have to do anything," Katherine made clear. "All I want is for Klaus to be dead, and for me to have Stefan back. I see no reason for me to stay here now."

"How do we stop Klaus?" Elena finally asked Bonnie over the shouts of Katherine and Damon. When Bonnie spoke, the feuding vampires fell silent.

"I was given a spell to perform," Bonnie began slowly. She still hadn't moved from the doorframe. "With Emily's help, I infused the red powder into my body. And I know how to call on the spirits to help." Her green eyes lost a little life then. "There's only one real problem. To stop Klaus, I have to sacrifice the one I love."

All eyes instantly turned to Jeremy, who stared at Bonnie with awestruck horror on his face.

"We're not going to sacrifice him," Elena made clear as she positioned herself between Bonnie and Jeremy. "There has to be another way."

"There is no other way," Bonnie retorted. "And I love him, Elena. It's not like I'm brandishing a knife right now and getting ready to stab him. I was told the conditions under which Klaus could be killed. Now, I'm relaying that information to you."

"I would survive though, right?" Jeremy asked. His mind was clearly at work. "If you killed me, it would be because of supernatural means. The ring could bring me back."

Elena's eyes returned to Bonnie and watched as the other girl struggled for an answer.

"It could work," Bonnie finally shrugged. "I'm not sure it's something I'm willing to leave to chance."

"Elena sacrificed herself to save us from Klaus the first time. Now, it's my turn."

"So if we're going to try this," Tyler reasoned, "We'll have to let Damon and Elena come to the place alone. And then lure Klaus into a trap that we'll have prepared for him."

"Do you think this could actually work?" Elena asked as her eyes met Damon's.

He only shrugged. "It's not like we have a better plan right now."

"Then we're all in agreement?" Bonnie asked.

Elena wasn't so sure about any of it. She just wanted to go there by herself, that way if anyone ended up getting hurt, it would be her. She didn't like putting her brother's life in jeopardy, or the fact that the rest of her friends would be there too. Someone needed to be able to make it through all of this, especially if their plan didn't work.

"Let's take a vote," Caroline said as she stood up. "Those in favor, raise your hand."

Elena watched as the people around her slowly signified that they agreed. When everyone's hand was up but her own, Elena finally shrugged and raised her hand too.

"We have it then," Damon said with a tint of humor in his voice. "Operation Kill Klaus is now in effect."

* * *

><p>Caroline walked outside and sat down on the steps that led out to Matt's backyard. The morning and early afternoon had been rough while the group had attempted to come up with a plan. And while they had one now, no one was certain that they liked it. And since Bonnie had been around the house during all that time, Caroline felt like she just needed to be alone.<p>

A frown crossed her lips as she heard the door open. She wasn't sure who to expect, but was still surprised when she saw Tyler standing over her.

"I guess you had the same idea I did," Tyler laughed as he sat down beside her. His brown eyes never left her face. "It feels like everything we do anymore means life or death."

"It pretty much does," Caroline shrugged.

"I hope we get through this tonight," Tyler spoke as his hand brushed the top of Caroline's. "I want time for you to choose me."

"I-" Caroline began, but stopped when the door opened again. She turned around this time to see Damon. Apparently it was impossible to be alone now.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this," Damon spoke as his blue eyes met Caroline's. "I need to talk with you."

"About?" Caroline raised an eyebrow as she stood up.

Damon's eyes drifted to Tyler and clearly showed that he wasn't meant to be part of the conversation.

"I'll go inside," Tyler frowned before he disappeared into the house.

"So what is this about?" Caroline asked a little more harshly than she had first planned. Constantly being in danger was starting to put her on edge.

"I want to ask for your help in something," Damon began slowly as he shifted through the words he wanted to say. "I need you to promise me first that you will not tell Elena about this, no matter what happens."

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest. "And you know I can't do that."

"You want to protect her though, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Caroline frowned. "And this will keep her safe?"

"Absolutely."

"I promise then… So what do you need my help for?"

"We're not going by the plan we created earlier," Damon responded. "I have a completely new plan."

Caroline stood there, while a gentle breeze drifted by and Damon told her the new strategy. When he finished, she nodded in near approval.

"There's only one problem with that plan," Caroline finally stated.

"And it is?" Damon raised a perfect eyebrow.

Caroline sighed. "Any plan where you're put in danger won't keep Elena safe."

* * *

><p>It was about 4 o'clock when Elena settled into her room to take a nap before their plan went into action. The covers felt soft against her skin, and she was just about to close her eyes when he knocked on the door.<p>

"Hello," she smiled at Damon as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Hey," he smiled back. There was a cup of steaming liquid held carefully in his hands. "I thought you might like some hot chocolate."

"I would, actually," Elena replied as she took the cup from him. As Damon sat down on the edge of her bed, she took a long drink. The hot chocolate tasted perfect.

They sat there in silence while Elena drained her cup. When she had finished, she placed the container on her nightstand. It was only then that she really looked at Damon. When she saw the pain in his eyes, she arched an eyebrow. "Is everything okay?"

"It's just…" he broke off and frowned. "We've been through a lot, Elena. And if all this works out, if Stefan is saved, everything will change. And if this doesn't work out, everything will change too. I just want one time, Elena, to be with you."

Her brown eyes grew wide at his directness, but he only laughed. "Nothing has to happen, Elena. I don't even have to touch you. I just want to sleep in your bed. Just once."

Elena nodded slowly. She could feel the tiredness seeping into her veins already. As she moved over in her bed to make room for him, she patted the vacant spot.

Her heart was beating unbelievably fast as he climbed in beside her. His blue eyes were looking at her with such an intensity that they nearly took her breath away.

"I want you to know, Elena, that I love you more than anything else." His voice was quiet and soothing as he stroked the side of her face. "Everything I'm doing tonight, Elena, I'm doing for you. I hope you'll forgive me."

Elena's thoughts blurred together as the darkness threatened to take over. She had things she needed to say too, and many questions she needed to ask from the words Damon had spoken. There was nothing he needed to apologize for.

"Damon," she began as her eyes drifted shut. "I love…"

She felt Damon drop his hand from her face as her words trailed off. The last thing she felt before she fell asleep were Damon's lips as they gently brushed hers.

* * *

><p>an: Thoughts on what will happen next?


	20. Chapter 20 The Last Letter

a/n: Thank you to everyone who took the time to review. =) Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 20 The Last Letter<p>

_I loved you first,__  
><em>_Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth,__  
><em>_I have to go, I have to go,__  
><em>_Your hair was long when we first met…_  
>-Samson by Regina Spektor<p>

It was about ten o'clock when Damon left Elena's room and made his way downstairs. None of the lights in the house were on so the only light came from the moonlight that snuck into the house. Since Damon didn't need the light, he didn't waste his time turning it on.

When he entered the living room, he saw her standing there. Her brown hair had been straightened and her chocolate eyes looked at him with a glimmer of distrust. Although her body filled his dreams, this wasn't really the girl he loved.

"She'll never forgive you for this, you know that, right?" Katherine said.

"Never is a long time, even for us," Damon retorted as he handed Katherine a necklace that looked similar to the one Elena always wore. His blue eyes reflected his sadness. "I just want to keep her safe."

"You always tried to protect me too," Katherine shrugged as she latched the necklace around her neck. "There are more important things than just being safe."

"You could have fooled me."

"I've been running from Klaus ever since I was turned," she shrugged. "And I've been miserable the majority of the time. Soon, Klaus will be dead and I'll have Stefan back. And then I can have my happily ever after."

Damon rolled his eyes before turning serious. "Thank you for doing this."

Katherine snorted at those words. "Don't confuse what I'm doing as anything close to chivalry. My actions are far less noble than that. If I didn't want Stefan back, I wouldn't have put up with this group of idiots you run around with."

"Katherine-" But Damon was interrupted as the door opened and Caroline, Bonnie, Tyler, Alaric, Matt and Jeremy all came in the house.

"Why do I have to be the one to stay here?" Matt questioned as a frown crossed his face. He was clearly unhappy.

"Someone has to be here to take on Elena's wrath when she wakes up and sees that Damon has already left," Caroline shrugged. "And besides, with Bonnie's spell on this house, you'll be safe. No one will be able to get in here."

"When Elena finds out you've left her here, I won't be scared of the people outside."

A smirk crossed Damon's lips, despite the truth in the statement. There were many other things they needed to be doing, so he finally sighed. "It's time to kill Klaus."

* * *

><p>Elena struggled to pull herself out of the realm of sleep. Even when she tried to wake, her eyes wanted to drift back to sleep.<p>

Finally, she took her hands and physically held open her eyes. When she did, she was astounded by how dark the room was. And it took her only a few more seconds to realize Damon was no longer lying beside her. A deep terror spread through her body as she looked to the clock.

It was almost midnight, which meant it was time for her to meet Klaus. Since no one had woken her up, she was scared they had gone without her.

She was just about to go downstairs when she saw the black rose and letter lying on the pillow Damon had used early. Her heart clenched in knots as turned on the light and sunk back into the covers. Letting out a deep breath, she opened the letter.

_My beautiful Elena,_

_When you read these words, I'll be gone. Although I long to be back shortly, know that this is very unlikely. Blood will be spilled tonight. I just hope it isn't mine. _

_Parts of the puzzle are already coming together in your mind, I know this. You're far too smart to not understand this. And yes, you're correct. This isn't something that was orchestrated only by me. The rest of the group knew about this too. But please don't hold them responsible. Blame only me… And please try to forgive me. _

_All of this is for you, and I hope you see this. If I had ten thousands lives to live, I would hope to find your love in all of them. The only thing I have ever wanted was to be loved by you. I wanted to meet you before I even knew you existed. You were the reason I was created, Elena. And a world without you is a place I don't want to live in. _

_We both know that I stand the best chance of beating Klaus. And if I'm concerned only of protecting you, stopping him would be impossible. Katherine has instead chosen to take your place tonight. Klaus won't see this coming. There's a chance we can win, Elena. _

_Hopefully in a few hours I will return with your beloved Stefan, and everything can go back to the way it was before. You can hate me for betraying you, and you will be completely safe. As long as you are happy Elena, I will be gloriously enthralled. _

_It was you who showed me what love was, Elena, and how that I had to be willing to let you go. If my life is what this takes, I will give it. I would die a hundred deaths if it would keep you safe and happy. I would go through the darkest regions of the world to make you smile. I would give you the world, Elena, if only you would ask it of me. _

_So please understand, and please forgive me. My heart will always belong to you, even if it doesn't beat. _

_With the deepest love,_

_Damon_

Elena couldn't hold back her tears. They fell onto the paper and smudged the last few lines of her letter. Violent tremors shook her body from the pain that gripped onto her as her heart was broken into infinite pieces.

She wondered how, in all Damon's careful plans to keep her out of this fight, that he hadn't realized the only thing she wanted now was him. And if he wasn't part of her life, that she didn't want to live either.

Trying to hold herself together, Elena made her way down the staircase and saw Matt sitting on her couch and watching television. When Matt saw her, he dropped the remote and embraced her in his arms.

"Everything is going to be okay," Matt said soothingly as he patted her hair.

"I never told him how I felt about him," Elena said between sobs.

"What?" Matt pulled away and held Elena at arm's length. "Are you talking about Damon?"

Since she was crying, Elena nodded only in response.

Matt glanced uncertainly toward the door. "Bonnie did a spell on the house to keep things out. She didn't say anything about keeping things in… We may be too late, but I'll go with you if you want me too."

"Let's hope there's still time."

* * *

><p>A cool wind whipped across the empty graveyard as Damon stood and surveyed the area. He stood protectively in front of Katherine just in case Klaus was watching from the shadows. And when Katherine slipped her hand into his, he didn't resist her touch.<p>

"Maybe he decided he didn't want me," Katherine spoke in a voice so much like Elena's that it fooled Damon for a second.

"Oh, he wants you," came a familiar voice behind them. Damon moved to once again stand in front of Katherine as he met Stefan's eyes.

"It's good to see you, brother," Damon responded coolly. "I hadn't expected to see you so soon."

"You can't get rid of me that easily," Stefan smiled with a grin so completely evil that Damon moved to block Katherine from view altogether. Maybe Katherine had been wrong about him being in control through all this.

"So where is Klaus?"

"Waiting," Stefan nodded. "Shall we?" He gestured toward the road, where Damon could barely make out a carriage pulled by two completely black horses. It looked like something out of a bad horror film.

"I thought we weren't playing games?" Damon questioned.

"We're not playing with you," Stefan replied. "Klaus has a proposition for you that he wants to disclose in private."

"How very fortunate," Damon smirked. To keep up the act, he turned around to face Katherine. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"No," Katherine nodded slowly. Her brown eyes were locked with Stefan's. "I have to do this."

They walked in silence through the gravestones and trees and back up to the road. Stefan opened the door to the black carriage and moved to let them pass by.

Damon searched the inside of the carriage before he climbed in. The carriage contained two sets of seats that were covered with red velvet. Since Klaus sat on one side of the carriage, Damon and Katherine sat down on the opposite seat. When Stefan was sitting beside Klaus, he shut the door and the carriage took off.

"So what's up with all the pomp?" Damon asked to break the eerie silence that had fallen.

"I like things to be proper," Klaus nodded. "It would hardly be polite to discuss these matters while standing in a graveyard."

"Then why have us meet you there?"

"To make sure you came alone," he shrugged before he looked at Katherine. "My darling, you've been quiet so far."

"What am I supposed to say?" Katherine said as she narrowed her eyes. "You've already killed me. What could you possibly want from me now?"

"I want you to be mine," he smiled with an air of charm.

"And you have nothing against this, _brother_?" Damon hissed out the last word.

"If Klaus wants her, I am hardly one to stand in the way." The tone of Stefan's voice, mixed with his cold eyes made Damon wonder if that wasn't exactly what Stefan thought.

"Your brother understands what the world will be like shortly, and rejoices in it," Klaus spoke as his eyes turned back to Damon. "We're moving toward a world where we no longer have to hide, where humans are both our servants and food. Only the strongest vampires, werewolves, and hybrids will survive. Everyone else will be… disposed of."

A frown crossed Damon's face. "Even with all your power Klaus, do you actually think you could survive an uprising from those who oppose you? Certainly their power would exceed even yours."

Klaus laughed. "You are still naïve, Damon. I won't offer to make vampires my servants in this new world. Instead, I offer them equality."

"But even you cannot give vampires and werewolves the power being a hybrid holds."

"Oh, but I can," he smiled. He opened a book that had been lying in his hands the entire time. "I've studied extensively through the bloodlines of both the Originals and Lycanthropes. I share blood with both. And those who currently live who possess that same bloodline, who either come from the same lycanthrope lineage as me, or who have been turned by me or one of my own sires, can become a hybrid too. Do you know, Damon, which bloodline you come from?"

Although Damon didn't want to hear the question answered, he knew he needed to keep Klaus talking, especially since they had taken an unplanned carriage ride. "Enlighten me."

"I assume you remember Rose," Klaus said with a grin. "You cared for her didn't you?" Damon felt his muscles tighten as he forced himself to stay under control. "Well, she was sired by someone who I had turned myself. And as the stories go, it was Rose's blood that turned Katerina. And she, of course, introduced both you and Stefan to this new life."

"So do I need to start calling you father now?" Damon smirked.

"Soon, the entire world will give me that name," Klaus retorted. He never stopped smiling. "I also heard that Katerina gave birth to your friend Caroline as well. And it should come to no surprise to you that the lycanthrope blood I possess is the same that flows through the veins of the Lockwood lineage."

"I guess we should get to the part where we hold hands and sing about being a happy family."

"I mean not to insult you, Damon," Klaus frowned. "I truly want you to be part of the new era I will bring into existence. I am offering you life when your future holds only death."

With as much restraint as he could muster, Damon turned and faced Katherine. Her brown eyes were fixed on Klaus with admiration.

"Elena," Damon said cautiously, but Katherine's gaze didn't turn to him.

"Oh, don't be absurd Damon," Klaus said with a tint of impatience in his voice. "I know this isn't Elena."

Dread consumed Damon's being as he turned to face Klaus again. Klaus' gaze was fixed on Katherine.

"So what do you say, my darling Katerina," he sang. "Will you join me?"

* * *

><p>an: Please review. =)


	21. Chapter 21 'Til Death Part 1

a/n: I loved reading your reviews! Please keep them coming. As always, enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 21 'Til Death Part 1<p>

_Are you, are you,__  
><em>_Coming to the tree,__  
><em>_Where I told you to run so we'd both be free.__  
><em>_Strange things did happen here,__  
><em>_No stranger would it be,__  
><em>_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree._  
>-The Hanging Tree by Suzanne Collins<p>

Elena walked into the graveyard and immediately ducked behind the nearest gravestone. Her eyes spanned the course of the graveyard, but she didn't see anyone else there. A knot twisted in her stomach as she realized the battle might have already been finished.

She moved to the next gravestone with Matt close to her side. She was just about to stand up when she heard Matt scream.

"Let go of me!" Matt yelled as he fought against the person holding him captive. Elena turned around to see him fighting against Alaric.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Caroline gasped as she moved in beside Elena. "You were _supposed_ to stay are your house."

"I couldn't let you face Klaus alone," Elena replied before she did stand up. "Surely you understand that."

"I do," Caroline nodded. "I just wish you were safe."

"Where are Damon and Katherine?" Elena questioned as she surveyed the area.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Klaus decided to take a midnight ride in a marriage. Who _does_ that?"

"Do you know where they went?"

"We know the general direction," Bonnie spoke for the first time. "We were putting a little distance between us and them so they wouldn't know they were being followed."

As Elena let out a deep breath, her mind devised a plan. "We can only go so far in a group this large," she spoke slowly. Her brown eyes surveyed the group with intense deliberation. "If any remnants of our old plan are still together, Bonnie and Jeremy will have to stay together."

Bonnie nodded, although her sadness was reflected in her eyes. "This is the only way I know to stop him."

Elena fought against her own despair. If something happened and Jeremy didn't come back, her entire family would be dead.

"I could go with Tyler," Alaric spoke up. "Which would allow Caroline to go with you and Matt."

"That sounds good to me," Caroline replied.

Alaric dug in a huge bag he carried until he pulled out a couple of stakes, a vervain dart, and two knives.

"Take these with you," he said as he handed them to Elena and Matt. Then, he winked. "Hopefully, you won't need them."

"Thank you," Elena replied before she embraced him in a tight hug. Throughout all the trials they had faced, he had become something close to family to her.

When she let go, she smiled at the entire group. They had to win.

"Where did Klaus go?" she finally asked.

"Into the forest," Bonnie replied.

"Then let's go."

* * *

><p>Bonnie and Jeremy moved through the trees as quietly as possible. They had yet to encounter any opposition, and that worried Bonnie.<p>

"Are the spirits still following us?" Bonnie whispered as she stepped over a fallen log.

"Yeah," Jeremy replied. His gaze lingered on the area behind them where Bonnie could feel an immense amount of power. "They're determined to stop him."

"Aren't we all?" Bonnie half-laughed.

Jeremy shrugged. "I'm sorry if I've been too hard on you over killing Caroline's mother. I know why you killed her, Bonnie. It's just…" He ruffled his shaggy brown hair. "I've lost so many people lately. The killing has to stop somewhere, you know?"

"I know," she whispered.

There was more she needed to say, but she fell silent when she caught movement up ahead of them. She motioned for Jeremy to remain quiet as she pointed a finger in the direction she'd seen the movement. She felt the power of Misao running through her own veins, and felt the energy the spirits had to offer on her fingertips. If the person attacked, she was ready.

Bonnie slinked forward and led the way. When she came to the end of the tree cover, she leaned against the bark of a tree and gazed out into the large clearing beyond. As the scene before her registered in her mind, she sunk back into the cover and tried to not feel overwhelmed.

In that clearing, there had been over fifty hybrids.

* * *

><p>Elena leaned against a tree as she peered into the depression below. She forced herself not to breathe when she saw Greta and two hybrids in the valley. When she turned around to face Jeremy and Caroline, she shook her head sadly.<p>

"We're outmatched," Elena explained.

"There has to be something we can do," Caroline exclaimed. "We can't give up."

"They won't hurt me," Elena said as she hid her weapons underneath her clothing. "They know who I am, and how much Klaus wants me. They'll take me to him, Caroline, and that should buy you enough time to regroup with the others and prepare for Klaus' death."

Caroline was already shaking her head, "I won't do that."

"You have to," Elena said before she hugged Caroline. "This is the only way for us to stop him."

Before Caroline had a chance to respond, Elena nodded at Matt, and jumped out into Greta's view.

Elena hoped the shock on her face appeared genuine. She even tried to scramble back into the cover of the trees. But Greta and her hybrids had already noticed her. Before Elena had the chance to go anywhere, Greta grabbed onto her and pulled her to the ground.

"I bet you wanted to save him," Greta said with a grin on her face. "You're too late. Klaus' reign has already begun." She forced Elena onto her stomach while she tied Elena's wrists together. When she had finished, she hauled Elena to her feet.

Elena was at the mercy of Greta as she pushed her into another section of the forest. When she stole one last glance at the area she had come from, Elena saw, to her horror, Matt following after her.

* * *

><p>"<em>So what do you say, my darling Katerina," he sang. "Will you join me?" <em>

Damon tensed as his blue eyes glanced from Klaus to Katherine. Although no one had spoken in a few seconds, those small moments of time felt like hours. When Damon's gaze drifted to Stefan, he saw for the first time since he had entered the carriage a glimmer of the Stefan he knew so well. Whatever mask had been painted on Stefan's face had been wiped clean. Now, his expression was something close to horror.

"I completely understand what you're doing," Katherine finally spoke. "This is more than I could have ever hoped for."

"I'm glad you see things my way," Klaus grinned.

With a new found dread, Damon realized that the carriage had stopped moving.

Klaus' eyes met Damon's, and he could see the insanity that lay inside his body.

"I know that you do not understand now, Damon, but give me time." He reached and opened the door to the carriage. "Shall we?"

It was then that Damon realized he really had no choice but to follow Klaus until he came up with some form of a plan.

When he stepped out of the carriage, trees surrounded him. They had arrived at a clearing in the forest with a large marble slab in the center. Damon raised an eyebrow, and Klaus laughed.

"You will soon see the brilliance of my plan," Klaus remarked before he walked to the slab. "It was hard, to begin with, to decide how to raise my hybrids from the grave. The werewolf and vampire blood feuded in their veins and prevented them from rising from the dead properly. I was allowed to bring back my first batch of hybrids to balance nature, but I knew that couldn't happen more than once. My beautiful witch found a way around that though."

"I love to hear you complimenting me," Greta smiled as she emerged from among the trees. Her dark hair fell down past her shoulders in curls that bounced as she walked. "I didn't think I would see you again, Damon."

"I could say the same about you," Damon retorted. "I thought you were dead."

"I was," she shrugged. "That's why it's good to have powerful friends."

"Greta, my darling," Klaus began as he walked over and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Please explain to our guests how you've managed to bring my new hybrids back to life."

She nodded as a smile crossed her lips. "The point of being a witch is to keep nature in balance. If we want someone to come back from the dead, all we have to do is send someone else back in return."

Damon tried to suppress a shudder. "How many people have you killed so far?"

"Close to fifty."

"You must be proud," Damon smirked.

"I am." She moved out of Klaus' embrace and faced the forest. "Cato, you can come out now."

Damon watched as a man came out carrying the limp form of a teenage boy. When Damon noticed the boy's blond hair and athletic frame, he tried not to groan. If Matt had been captured, something was definitely wrong. It was at that moment that he realized _nothing_ good could come from this situation.

"I found him wandering the forest," Greta said with a tint of laughter in her voice. "I thought he would make a good sacrifice to raise our next hybrid."

Although Damon wanted to intervene, he knew better. Trying to save Matt now would cause both of them to die.

"So who are we turning into a hybrid now?" Klaus questioned with a smile on his face. "Have you brought me another pet, my love?"

"Of course I have," Greta replied. Cato had dumped Matt's body onto the stone slab, and Greta now worked to secure his hands and wrists to the marble with ropes. When she had finished, she waved her hands in a brilliant display of power. Out of the ground came a dagger covered in caked blood.

"Lane!" Greta called into the trees again. "Please bring out our next recruit."

Damon felt all his hopes shatter as the man known as Lane led the girl into the clearing. Her hands were tied behind her back, and her long brown hair was knotted from the struggle she had been through. Layers of mud covered her clothes, and a slight trace of blood covered her jeans.

The worst part was the look on Klaus' face. It held so much joy and power that Damon had to stop himself from hitting Klaus.

The only decent part to all of this was the look on Stefan's face. He looked almost normal in his longing for the girl who was held captive. And something close to regret lined his eyes as Lane pushed the girl to her knees before Klaus.

Then Klaus reached down and gently stroked Elena's hair.

"There is no need to worry now," he spoke in soft tones as he looked into the hatred filled eyes of his prey. "After tonight, we will always be together."

"If you want to be with me, then why am I being treated like a slave?"

"Of course." Klaus motioned to Lane. "Untie her."

When the ropes were loosened off of Elena's wrists, she stood up and met Klaus' fierce gaze.

Klaus eyed her with a deep curiosity. "How long has it been since all four of you have been together?" he asked as he glanced from Elena, to Katherine, to Damon, to Stefan. "Probably some time, I'm sure. And I doubt all four of you have ever really been on the same side." He stared at Elena in deep concentration. "There are so many fun games we could play now."

"I thought you were going to turn her, master," Katherine called from behind him. She didn't seem too interested in taking part in the "games" Klaus spoke of.

"There will be time for that later," he said dismissively. "The Petrova doppelgangers will eventually belong to me," he made clear. "But I wonder who they currently belong to."

Damon felt his own dread rising within him as he glanced over to Stefan. Stefan's face had gone wide with a terror of his own.

Klaus moved and sat down on the edge of the marble slab where Matt was now struggling to get free. A piece of cloth had been stuffed into his mouth to stop him from crying out. Matt's attempts to escape seemed to not even be noticed by Klaus.

"Let's start with Katerina then," Klaus grinned. "Katerina, darling, which brother do you love?"

* * *

><p>an: Thoughts? Feelings? Please review!


	22. Chapter 22 'Til Death Part 2

a/n: Thanks for all the reviews! Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Chapter 22 'Til Death Part 2<p>

_I begged you to hear me, there's more than flesh and bones,__  
><em>_Let the dead bury the dead, they will come out in droves,__  
><em>_But take the spade from my hands and fill in the holes you've made…_  
>-Thistle and Weeds by Mumford and Sons<p>

Elena saw the wicked gleam in Klaus' eyes and knew that whatever came next would not be good.

"Katerina," he almost purred. "I said, which brother do you love?"

Katherine stared at him in shock for only a few seconds before she brushed off his comment with a smile.

"You've always known who I cared about," she spoke. With the smile still on her lips, she walked over to Stefan and put her hand in his.

"Then kiss him," Klaus commanded.

Katherine shrugged before she reached up and grabbed onto Stefan's shirt. She pulled him toward her in a violent kiss. When Stefan kissed her back, Elena tried not to breathe. She had never know their reunion would hurt this much.

"I think I believe you," Klaus replied. Then he waved his hand toward Elena. "Now, it is your turn."

As Elena's gaze rocked between both brothers, she tried to come up with a plan. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Damon, but it looked like Stefan was barely holding it together. If she declared her feelings for Damon now, she wasn't sure what would happen.

Thankfully, she saw the slight nod from Damon that she hoped Klaus hadn't seen.

"I love Stefan," Elena said as she moved from her position to stand on the other side of Stefan.

There was a glimmer of distrust in Klaus' eyes. "Then kiss him."

Elena hesitated. Then, she gently reached up and kissed Stefan.

Whatever she had been expecting, it hadn't been this. Whatever remnant of feelings she had for Stefan were gone. There was no spark from their kiss whatsoever. All that was there was death.

When she pulled away, she was greeted with Klaus' laughter.

"That was hardly a fitting kiss to give the man you love who you haven't seen for a good amount of time," he tisked as he stood up. "Now, I want you to kiss Damon."

Shock filled Elena's body as she shook her head. "I'm not going to play these games with you."

"Then I'll kill him," Klaus shrugged before he grabbed the dagger from Greta and moved toward Matt.

"No!" Elena screamed, and Klaus stopped the dagger only a few inches from Matt's heart. "I'll do it."

"Good girl," he purred.

Despite her quickly beating heart and nerves, Elena walked over to Damon. She made contact with his blue eyes, and didn't take her eyes off his gaze. She knew if she did, she'd lose all her courage.

When Elena touched Damon's chest to steady herself, she tried to block out any feelings she had for him. Whatever she felt inside could get them all killed.

Before she could stop herself, she gently kissed Damon on the lips. The kiss lasted less than a second, and she pulled away before the spark she felt could destroy her.

"Again."

Elena heard his voice, and wanted to stab him. This was a form of torture no one should have been forced to endure.

Still, Elena's lips somehow found Damon's. This kiss lasted about a second in length, but she still managed to pull away before she kissed him for a long amount of time.

"Again."

"What's the point of this?" Damon snapped as his heated gaze turned to Klaus. "She kissed me. What more do you want her to prove."

"What I want is none of your concern," Klaus made clear. His own eyes reflected his agitation. "I said _again_."

When Elena kissed him this time, she felt his own anger mesh with hers. A fire was kindled between them that couldn't be ignored any longer. Even when Damon tried to pull away, Elena held onto him and kissed him a second time. He didn't refuse. Instead, he tightened his arms around her and pulled her closer to him.

Elena finally forced herself to pull away. She was breathing hard, and tried not to show any emotions on her face as she glanced to Klaus. A big grin was plastered across his face at the truth he had revealed to all those in the clearing.

Then, Elena looked to Katherine and saw the look of pure shock on her face. Apparently she hadn't been expecting that.

When Elena's gaze fell on Stefan, however, a pang of regret tore through her. There was a deep pain in his eyes, but overtop that hurt was a fierce anger. And Elena wasn't sure he could control it.

* * *

><p>"You did <em>what<em>?" Tyler snapped as he looked at Caroline.

"I didn't have a choice," she said defensively as her eyes darted between Alaric and Tyler. "She took off before I had a chance to stop her. And _no one_ would have thought Matt would have jumped through the trees after her." A smile crossed her face then. "I did, however, follow them to where Klaus is. I can take you there."

Alaric nodded in agreement. "Let's hope Bonnie and Jeremy are close enough to completing their part of the plan for us to try to get her out."

"Let's hope," Caroline replied before she set off in the direction she had seen Greta take Elena in. The trees had already thinned out, and they had to move slowly to make sure they were hidden from view.

Tyler held a stake in his hand as he snuck through the foliage. A sound close by alerted him of danger only a second before someone tackled him and sent him to the ground.

Tyler skidded across the dirt and felt burns cover his body. But the man on top of him was already fighting to get into position to deliver a killing blow. Gathering up all the strength he could muster, Tyler grabbed onto his stake and thrust it into the hybrid's heart.

The man squirmed for a few minutes in obvious pain before he collapsed and fell onto the ground beside Tyler with a meaty thud.

When Tyler pushed himself to his feet, he quickly took in his surroundings. There were five other hybrids in the clearing, and they were currently fighting against Caroline and Alaric. Alaric took a vervain dart and stabbed the nearest hybrid with it. The man fell to the ground like Tyler's victim had.

Not wasting another second, Tyler took off toward Caroline. He grabbed a piece of a tree limb that was on the ground and impaled one of the hybrids with it. Even as he watched the hybrid fall to the ground, he saw the one thing that broke his heart.

The other hybrid had descended on Caroline, and with the hybrid's vampire and werewolf strength, she was no match for it. It pushed her to the ground and bit into her shoulder without hesitation. She let out a scream that sent shudders down Tyler's spine. Even though he moved to help her, it was too late. In retribution, Caroline had reached into the hybrid's chest and ripped out his heart. She tossed the heart aside just as Tyler moved beside her.

"I didn't know that could kill vampires," he said with a tinge of awe in his voice.

"Well, he's a hybrid," Caroline cringed as she tried to move. Her shoulder looked terrible. Large spots of flesh had been ripped away, and at one part of her shoulder, he could see her bone.

"How bad is it?" Caroline asked as tears welled up in her blue eyes. She was looking to Tyler instead of at her wound.

"We'll get through it," Tyler spoke before he helped Caroline to her feet.

When he was certain she could stand, he turned and looked at Alaric.

The two hybrids who had been attacking him lay at his feet. Sweat poured down his body, but a smile was on his face.

"I'd forgotten how much fun that could be," Alaric remarked. Then, he noticed Caroline's shoulder and rushed to her side. "Did one of these creatures bite you?"

Caroline nodded weakly in response before she collapsed. Tyler barely managed to catch her before she plummeted to the ground.

"I just need to…" but she didn't finish. She currently clutched against Tyler and gritted her teeth together to keep from crying out.

"Why aren't you healing?" Tyler asked. He couldn't keep the fear from his voice. "That guy wasn't a werewolf."

"But he was a hybrid," Alaric responded. "So he would have had werewolf blood inside of him."

Tyler tried to stay strong for Caroline, but knew how lethal werewolf bites were to vampires. And from what he had heard, Klaus' blood was the only cure.

* * *

><p>Bonnie sat on a tree branch and peered into the clearing nearby. A couple of trees obstructed her view, but from the little she could see, she knew things weren't going well.<p>

"So you're with _him_ now?" Stefan spat. His muscles flexed and unflexed in a tight control. "Do you know what I've done for you?"

"You've killed innocent people Stefan," Elena pleaded. From her expression, Bonnie could tell Elena was mostly just stalling for time. Whatever real talk or argument she might have with Stefan would come later.

Seeing this distraction as a sign to move forward, Bonnie climbed quickly back down and spoke to Jeremy.

"Do you remember everything we spoke of earlier?"

"Of course," Jeremy nodded. "I know what I have to do."

Bonnie smiled weakly. "Let's hope this works."

After letting out a deep breath, Jeremy looked back to the area they had come from. Bonnie knew he could see the spirits lingering there, waiting for the battle to take place.

Bonnie set off first since she knew she'd have to protect Jeremy if any trouble came their way. When she was at the edge of the clearing, she stopped for only a second before she revealed herself to the group inside.

"Ah, I vaguely remember you trying to kill me," Klaus laughed as he moved over to Bonnie. "Have you decided to try again?"

"Something like that," Bonnie shrugged. She tried to fake nonchalance as she walked over to the stone slab and examined Matt's bonds. "It was very smart of you," she spoke slowly, "to offer a sacrifice in order to raise one of your own from the dead. Not many people would have thought of that."

"As much as I like compliments, I sense something else underneath yours," Klaus retorted. He moved and ran a finger down the side of Bonnie's face. "Did you really think you could come here and free those you love?"

"I haven't come to free them," Bonnie said with a tinge of sadness in her voice. Her eyes contacted with Klaus' and she refused to look away. "I've come here for something far greater."

Knowing that she'd sparked his interest, Bonnie shrugged indifferently before she walked away. She saw a glimpse of Tyler in the trees and hoped that he had finished his part of the plan.

After another second, Bonnie knew everything was almost in place. Tyler and Alaric had worked to place pieces of crystal in a circle around the clearing. When Bonnie placed the last piece of crystal in the ground, everyone who was inside the circle would be trapped within it. She just needed to get everyone else out first.

Damon obviously knew what was about to happen. He had grabbed onto Elena and was pulling her toward the trees. Katherine was in the process of dragging Stefan toward the safety of the forest too.

Something happened then though, that sent shivers up Bonnie's spine. She watched as Greta raced to the side of the clearing and placed a piece of crystal in the area it needed to go. When the force field encapsulated the clearing, Greta was on the other side. She winked before she dashed away.

A feeling of dread consumed Bonnie as she turned back and looked to see Damon, Elena, Katherine, and Stefan all still in the clearing. Damon was running his hands against a surface no one could see in an attempt to get out. When he turned and faced Bonnie, all she could do was mouth, "I'm sorry."

Klaus, on the other hand, was laughing and clapping in delight.

"Looks like your plan backfired," he grinned. "So what is your plan now, my darling?"

* * *

><p>an: In the next chapter, more of Bonnie's plan will be revealed.

So, will Caroline survive? Can Bonnie come up with another plan? Please review!


	23. Chapter 23 Killing What Can't Be Killed

a/n: So this is my next to last chapter. I hope you enjoy, and please review. =)

* * *

><p>Chapter 23 Killing What Can't Be Killed<p>

_And is it worth the wait__  
><em>_All this killing time?__  
><em>_Are you strong enough to stand__  
><em>_Protecting both your heart and mine?_  
>-Heavy in Your Arms by Florence and the Machine<p>

Damon stood and tried to think of a backup plan as quickly as possible. And the more he tried to think, the more he realized how absolutely terrible their situation was.

The plan had been for Bonnie to create a sphere of crystal around Klaus. This sphere was only supposed to contain Klaus, Jeremy, and herself. So it was essential for her to wait until everyone else was out before she put the last piece of the crystal in place. Only then would the spell be complete.

But it was a simple trick, and he was sure now that Greta had known exactly what they were doing. He knew now, as Greta stood on the other side of the force field like barrier, that she had somehow taken that piece of crystal from Bonnie to complete the circle on her own.

The rest of the group had moved to the edge of the circle and watched with terrified eyes. He saw that Caroline had been hurt, and that she now leaned against Tyler for support. Alaric was there too, with eyes that reflected resignation. And then there was Jeremy, who had been on the outside of the circle when it had been created. He didn't see how they could win something this big.

Apparently Katherine had been thinking the same thing. Something snapped within her, he could see it behind her eyes, and her entire face lit up with an unquenchable anger.

"You selfish, no good, lying, cheating, murdering…" In her barrage of insults, she'd marched up to Klaus and stared at him with unrelenting eyes. "You always were a coward," she spoke through clenched teeth before she reared back and slapped him across the face. Klaus only grinned at her attack.

"You killed everyone I've ever cared about," she continued. "You've kept me alive, yes, but only long enough to torture me. I've been forced to play these sick games of yours." She slapped him again, and his smile wavered slightly. "You're an idiot if you thought I was ever going to join you."

She moved to slap him again, but this time he caught her wrist and quickly broke it. The pain was visible on Katherine's face, but her resolve prevented her from crying out.

"You have always been foolish," Klaus remarked. Instead of letting go of Katherine's wrist, he held it in place to make sure the bones didn't heal.

"Are you finally going to kill me now?" she smirked.

"As always, my darling," Klaus smiled wickedly. "I have far greater plans for you."

Katherine tried to pull her wrist away, but Klaus' grip was far too tight. She winced in pain, and after a few minutes, stopped struggling.

"So now the question is, what shall I do with you?" Klaus hummed as his eyes surveyed the group. "You have obviously all betrayed me, and betrayals require retribution. But how do I want to punish you?"

"Get over yourself," Damon spoke as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You act like you already reign."

"Don't I?" he questioned with a smile.

In a blur of movement, Katherine grabbed the knife from Klaus' hand and stabbed him in the chest with it. Laughing, Klaus yanked the knife from his body and plunged it in Katherine's chest. She let out a soft, barely audible moan. Still smiling, Klaus yanked out the knife and tossed Katherine's body to Stefan's feet. She twitched on the ground, but didn't try to stand again.

Damon knew that he had to try to untie Matt, but with Klaus standing so close, he knew better than to risk it. As of now, there was nothing he could really do but stall.

"So, how did you know that Elena would kiss me?" Damon asked as his blue eyes took in Klaus. "I mean, why would she kiss me, or even care?"

"I saw how you looked at her," Klaus grinned. He was sitting back on the stone slab where Matt was tied. He ran the edge of his blade along Matt's leg. Although the blade didn't puncture the skin, Matt still thrashed on the slab. "The original Petrova had feelings for both myself and my brother. It was easy to assume she would have feelings for two different brothers, as Katerina also did."

Katherine had finally pulled herself off the ground, although the pain it gave her was etched across her face. Her hatred for Klaus was also easy to see.

"What do you want with us?" Elena asked. Her arms were crossed and her gaze was fixed on Klaus.

"I made my intentions on that clear much earlier," Klaus laughed as he cut one of the ropes holding Matt down to the stone. "Now that your friends went against those plans, I'm not sure if I want you at all."

He cut another one of the ropes holding down Matt, and Damon felt a sense of uneasiness rise up in his body. Whatever Klaus was doing with Matt wasn't good.

"You see," Klaus continued with a tone of nonchalance. "I wanted you all to be part of this beautiful world I am ushering in. Now, I just want you to hurt."

Leisurely, Klaus walked around the slab and cut the remaining two ropes that held Matt down. When Matt was free, he remained frozen in fear to the stone.

"Why are you not leaving?" Klaus asked him in an innocent tone. "I have set you free."

"Matt don't," Elena called. "Don't move."

"I _said _leave!" Klaus screamed, and caused Matt to jump. Klaus' shout seemed to awaken Matt's flight instinct, and he quickly set off for where Damon and Elena stood.

Unfortunately, he never made it that far. Klaus grabbed onto his body and threw him back against the stone slab. Before anyone could intervene, Klaus plunged the knife into Matt's chest.

A whimper escaped Elena's lips, and Damon found himself pulling her into his arms. He glared at Klaus over the top of Elena's brown hair.

"He had nothing to do with this," he snapped. "There was no reason to kill him."

"There was every reason to kill him," Klaus replied. He yanked the knife back out of Matt's chest to reveal the bloodstains on the metal. "I am in charge now, and any whim I have I am allowed to give in to."

"You're a psychopath," Katherine spat. Even she seemed disgusted that Klaus had murdered Matt.

"I do not know why you are so against me, Katerina," he replied. "Especially since you have made it clear that you think humans are only meant to be our prey. Surely you have not gone soft in your time with this group."

"Regardless of how I feel about humans," Katherine began, "What you do will always repulse me."

A scream echoed through the clearing as Klaus lost his tightly held control, and lunged for Katherine again.

* * *

><p>Jeremy watched as the spirits assembled at the edge of the force field. When the barrier had been erected, the majority of the spirits had been trapped outside. Now, they pushed against the barrier as if they were trying to bring it down.<p>

To his left, Jeremy could hear Alaric and Tyler talking. Caroline had passed out a few minutes ago, and they weren't completely sure what to do with her. And although they needed to have a plan in place in case she lost control, all of them cared about her too much to actually speak the words out loud.

Then Jeremy heard them. With dread consuming his body, he turned and saw the massive amounts of hybrids standing around them. If they decided to attack, then it was all over.

A noise echoed through the clearing then, of a sound close to shattering glass. Jeremy turned back around to see the spirits bursting through the force field. After a few seconds, all traces of the barrier were gone.

Jeremy didn't hesitate to rush toward where Bonnie stood. He took her hand gently in his own before he nodded.

"We have to do this now."

Jeremy saw the trepidation in Bonnie's eyes. The reason she had wanted to create the barrier in the first place was because she wasn't sure how large the portal to the world of the dead would be. Now, however, they really had no choice if Klaus was to be stopped.

"_Patefacio porta ut ceterus universitas_," Bonnie chanted. Jeremy saw Klaus try to move, but something was holding every person in place. "_Patefacio porta ut ceterus universitas_."

The wind picked up and blazed to a deafening roar. Jeremy threw his hands over his ears, but even then nature's symphony crescendoed in triumph. A flash of lightning lit up the sky just as a tremor opened up the ground they stood on and revealed a deep crevice.

Jeremy had expected to enter the portal first, but this was far from the case. Since Matt's body was so close to the opening of the portal, he was swept away first.

Then Klaus' body fell down into the pit even as he screamed for Bonnie to stop.

The rest of the group held onto the ground in a death grip to prevent their bodies from being pulled into the hole. Stefan lost his hold, and toppled toward the pit. Katherine managed to catch him before he disappeared into its depths, but she was too close to the hole to begin with. After a few minutes of struggling, both Katherine and Stefan fell into the depression.

Jeremy heard Damon scream, and then he yelled at Elena to hold on to him. She seemed to be struggling to keep herself from being swept up in the wind's harsh current.

Next came Caroline and Tyler. Tyler had been trying so hard to hold on the Caroline that he hadn't been able to hold on to anything else, even from his large distance from the abyss.

It was all too surreal for Jeremy to process. He was the person who was supposed to die, not these people around him.

Jeremy was just getting ready to let go when Damon and Elena's bodies collapsed into his. He lost his own hold, and they all plummeted toward the hole.

In his last few minutes, Jeremy experienced many things. First, he felt the wind whip his ring from his finger. Then, he felt Elena grab onto his hand and entwine her own fingers with his. Last, a feeling of peace spread across his body before the darkness swallowed him.

* * *

><p>an: One more chapter! What will happen? I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	24. Epilogue: Something Close to an Ending

a/n: I hope everyone enjoys the epilogue. I have a one-shot story that will hopefully go up later this week, and an idea for a fic that I may start. Feel free to follow me on twitter. The more people who read my fictions that follow me, the more I'll talk about them and give hints. My username is: rachel_(underscore again)leann  
>I've had an amazing ride with this story, and deeply enjoyed writing. So, here it goes:<p>

* * *

><p>Chapter 24 Something Close to an Ending<p>

_Oh simple thing where have you gone?_  
><em>I'm getting old and I need something to rely on.<em>  
><em>So tell me when you're gonna let me in.<em>  
><em>I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin.<em>  
>-Somewhere Only We Know by Keane<p>

Elena blinked and took in her surroundings. Her head pounded, and she had to open and close her eyes a couple of times before she could keep them open. Then she pushed herself onto her elbows and surveyed the scene.

She was in the clearing again. From her current position, the only person she could see was Bonnie. As fear clung to her body, Elena stood up and rushed over to her friend.

"Bonnie," Elena called as she sunk back down to her knees. She protectively placed Bonnie's head in her lap. "What happened?"

Bonnie's eyes fluttered open and finally focused on Elena. "I was the last one to go through," Bonnie spoke quietly. "All the hybrids went through Elena. Even Greta…" She trailed off as sat up. Her eyes darted to the area around her. "We're alive?"

"It appears so," Elena nodded. Personally, Elena didn't want to deal with what those words meant. The clearing was bare besides the pair of them. She wasn't sure what would happen if they were the only two who survived.

But then a soft breeze caressed her skin. She glanced toward the stone slab, and saw Emily sitting on it.

"Hello," she spoke softly. Her eyes were focused on Bonnie and Elena. "I know you have many questions, and soon they will be answered." She stood up and walked toward them. Her form was translucent, and Elena could see the stone through her as she moved toward them.

"Klaus is dead," she continued as she neared the girls. She sat down on the earth so she was even with them. "Or at least as dead as he can be. He will never bother you again."

"Thank you," Bonnie nodded.

"What about the others?" Elena asked. "Are they dead too?"

"The hybrids are," Emily replied. "As is his witch. Her actions required punishment."

"But what about our friends," Bonnie questioned. "Are they alive?"

"You knew the conditions of Klaus' death coming in here," Emily spoke slowly. "You knew that to kill him, you had to sacrifice the one you loved. But…" she let out a deep breath, even though Elena knew she didn't have to breathe. "We've spoken. And in we, I mean me along with the other witches. The sacrifice you had to make, to sacrifice him along with your other friends, did not go unnoticed. And, as a reward for your commitment to stop evil, we have brought everyone back. Even Jeremy and Matt."

Elena felt the tears of joy bunch up in the corners of her eyes. She reached out and took Bonnie's hands into her own as a smile crossed her face. But her happiness was short-lived.

"If they're alive," she began. "Then where are they?"

"Asleep in their homes," Emily replied. "And any wounds they had were healed."

"Then why are we still here?" Bonnie spoke up.

"I had to talk to you first." Emily's eyes wandered to the trees around them. She seemed to be debating what to say. "You involved them in your quest to destroy Klaus… They know what happens in this world. The death of a hybrid will be something that will draw attention from unwanted sources. And they will come, after you Elena, because you are the human who has yet to be killed."

"You mean Misao?" Elena questioned.

"You will know in time," Emily nodded. "Just be prepared."

Then, Emily vanished and left Bonnie and Elena alone in the clearing.

"That was weird," Bonnie said before she looked to Elena.

"Insanely," Elena responded. A feeling of dread had risen up within her body, but she pushed it down. They had won. Now, it was time to celebrate. "Let's go see the others."

* * *

><p>The majority of the day everyone had slept, but now that darkness reigned, everyone was ready to celebrate. Everyone moved around the room at the Salvatore Manor with smiles plastered across their faces. After speaking to several different people, Elena left the living room and moved toward the staircase where Damon stood.<p>

"You've really outdone yourself," Elena remarked as she looked at the smiling faces of all of her friends.

"We defeated something we were told couldn't be killed," Damon shrugged. "We deserved a party."

"Move out of the way!" Tyler called as he created a dance floor in the center of the living room. He ran over to the laptop that was connected to the room's speakers with a grin playing across his lips. "_Everyone_ has to dance to this."

Elena laughed as she heard the sounds of Party Rock Anthem engulf the room. Tyler didn't hesitate to move onto the dance floor. He performed the Running Man before moving into a flawless Pin Drop.

"What is everyone waiting for?" Tyler called to the crowd. A laughing Caroline pulled Matt onto the dance floor. Bonnie and Jeremy weren't far behind, although the look on Jeremy's face revealed that he thought everyone was crazy. Even Alaric jumped in and produced some of the worst dance moves Elena had ever seen. Only Katherine and Stefan hung back.

"What about you, Damon?" Elena asked as she offered him her hand. "Will you dance with me?"

A smile crossed his lips as he followed her to the dance floor. With twirls and laughter Elena and Damon moved across the room. It felt good to be there. It was like the calm after the storm, and right now, everyone felt absolutely alive.

They danced the majority of the night. Only when it was close to the midnight did Elena step outside into the thin moonlight.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Stefan spoke as he moved beside her.

"It is," Elena replied. Her eyes watched him warily. "How are you doing?"

"It's hard," he smiled. "Drinking small amounts of your blood helped, but I still lost myself at times." He became quiet for a few moments. "I thought you were going to die."

"I thought we all were going to," she laughed weakly.

"And you and Damon are together now?"

"We haven't officially talked about it," Elena admitted. "But I think so."

Stefan only nodded.

"So what are you going to do now?" Her brown eyes searched him for answers.

"Katherine wants me to go somewhere with her," he shrugged. "I need to leave here for a while and get myself together again." He paused. "But whatever happens Elena, I want you to know that I'll always love you, and I'll always protect you."

"I'm sorry it turned out this way," Elena said softly. "I never meant to hurt you."

"It was bound to happen sometime," he replied before he offered her a weak smile. "I'm going to go tell Katherine I'll leave with her."

"Good luck," Elena smiled. "And be careful."

"Oh, I will."

Elena watched him walk back inside. Her heart ached a little over their parting, but she knew it would be for the best. They both had things they needed to figure out.

She was just about to head back inside when she caught movement in the yard. When she saw who was there, she froze.

"I know you don't want to speak to me, Elena, but I do owe you an apology," Elijah spoke calmly as he moved into view.

"I thought Klaus had killed you," was all she said in response.

"He did." He closed the distance between them and walked up the stairs onto the porch where she stood. "Emily freed me, along with my family, after Klaus died."

"So you found them?"

"I woke up right beside them," he smiled. "He had kept those bodies close by all our lives and I never knew."

"I'm glad for you," Elena spoke, but she crossed her arms over her chest anyway.

"I truly am sorry, Elena." Elijah kept contact with her brown eyes. "I love them too much. I was afraid I would lose them if Klaus died then."

"I know," Elena nodded before she raked a hand through her long hair. "I would have done the same for anyone in this house."

"It does look like quite the party."

"Then come in." After everything that had happened during the past few days, Elena was too tired to hold a grudge. And if Elijah had wanted to hurt her, he could have the second she was alone.

Elijah laughed. "I'm going to go, Elena. It's time for me to get to know my family again." He reached into his pocket and produced the dagger that had once held him captive. "This is for you, in case one of my family members becomes crazy, and I'm too blind to see it."

"Thank you." Elena took the dagger and held it delicately in her hands. "I wish you luck, Elijah."

"I hope the same for you as well," he nodded.

Then, in a blur of movement, he disappeared.

"Are you talking to yourself, Elena?" Damon asked as he moved outside.

"I just had a meeting with Elijah," Elena replied as she held up the dagger. "Apparently, he wanted to mend things."

"Well," was all Damon said before he moved beside Elena. He took her free hand gently in his own and brought it to his mouth. He placed a soft kiss there before letting it fall. "Are you ready to go back inside?"

"Of course," Elena smiled. She reached up and kissed Damon lightly on the lips. "Let's go."

Elena couldn't stop smiling as Damon pulled her back inside. When she took one last glance back outside, she thought she saw a glimpse of black hair.

But when she was inside, Caroline held up a glass and was toasting, so Elena forgot all about the strange sight.

"To those of us who survived," Caroline spoke as she raised her glass in the air. "May the villains ever stay away."

* * *

><p>an: I hope you enjoyed this! And reviews are always welcome. =)


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